Adrift
by klynne83
Summary: After being on the run, Lizzie grows tired of being on the run. What happens when Red sets her up with a new identity and a new place to live?
1. Chapter 1

Thank you to the amazing Meaghan Stewart for being the best beta, sounding board, friend a girl could ask for. I cannot thank you for the endless facebook chats and for being an all-around kickass friend

~*~ TBL ~*~

She waits, not so patiently for the ringing to stop. Would he answer her call? Would he completely ignore her? It had been years since they had seen each other, but she knew he kept this one number for her. In case she needed anything, or needed to run. She remembered the night perfectly; the night she had almost gotten them both killed, and the week that had followed… the week that changed both of their lives.

~*~ 6 Years Previous ~*~

They had been on the run from the Cabal and from Ressler and the FBI. She had one job, to remember her new alias. It hadn't turned out so well. They had to go to a party where Red had a contact waiting; hopefully someone who could help them out of their situation. She hadn't meant to not answer to her new name. Being constantly on the run, however, the names all seemed to blend together. Red's contact had recognized her and knew there was a hefty reward on her head. So he had called in reinforcements which made her and Red have to leave the party in a rush.

She had broken down once they got back to their hotel room, Red fuming in silent fury. Once he had taken a few moments to calm down he turned to look at her and his face and eyes softened at the look of anguish on her face.

"I can't do this anymore," she cried, dropping her face into her hands and letting out a sob. Red takes a few moments before walking across the room and dropping onto the couch next to her. He slowly brought his hand up and placed it onto her back, gently rubbing up and down. She suddenly turned and wrapped her arms around him, bringing her face into his neck before she took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, Red. I never meant for any of this to happen. I just wish I could have a simple life."

"Say the word sweetheart, and I could set you up with a new name. I'm doing all of this to clear your name so you can go back to D.C. and back to the Post Office."

"I know, Red, I know. But I don't think I could go back now. I always wonder if I could go back to that… Go back to being Elizabeth Keen. I would always wonder if Ressler or Samar or Aram would think differently about me… If they would constantly wonder if I was being truthful with them… If I was somehow lying to them. It didn't take long for them to think that I did what everyone thinks I did. I wonder if they thought that I was capable of that since the very beginning. Ressler at least. He's always been a little suspicious of me, and of you. And of us working together."

He dropped a kiss onto her head. "I know sweetheart."

"Red?" she asked after they both lapsed into silence. He hummed, letting her know to continue on. "If I asked, would you give me a new identity and someplace safe to live?"

"Is that what you want? To live as someone else? Never knowing if you were truly safe; truly exonerated for everything."

She cuddled into him, thinking about his words. "I don't know. You know I didn't have a hand in that bombing and I didn't know about the Senator. But I did shoot Tom Connolly."

"I know, sweetheart."

"He was going to come after you. Threatened Cooper, Ressler, Samar, Aram... He told me he was going to bring you up on charges. Seek the death penalty. I couldn't let that happen. Despite everything, I couldn't let any of it happen."

"Lizzie," he sighed out. "I could have everything done within the day. I know this quaint little town in Ireland. It would be perfect for you."

"Somewhere warm," she whispered. "Australia?" she asked quietly. "I've always wanted to go," she slurred out as she yawned and burrowed deeper into Red. "A house overlooking the water," she mumbled. "Love you." It was so quiet that he wasn't sure he had even heard her. He froze as he felt her go limp in his arms, as she finally fell asleep.

~*~ TBL ~*~

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked as he started to gather the papers that were scattered across the coffee table in their hotel room. She nodded silently. "I need to hear the words Elizabeth." She looked up sharply at the use of her full name.

"Yes," she remarked. "Red, I know this is not what you wish, but I cannot keep running. Last night, I was exhausted and with all these new aliases, I cannot keep up. I almost got us killed last night." She crawled around the coffee table and laid her arms over his knees. She rested her chin on her arms and looked up at him. "I almost got you killed last night. I cannot have that on my conscience. I know you want me to keep fighting, but I am just so burnt out that I cannot keep fighting. I'm so sorry, Red," she told him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Sweetheart, I understand. More than you think." He leaned over and dropped a kiss onto her head.

"I don't know how you did it all those years. You are so much stronger than I am."

" _You_ are so much stronger than I am. You are stronger than you will ever know. I just want you to know that I won't stop fighting them. I won't stop until you are cleared or until my last dying breath. Remember, you are my north star, Elizabeth. You always will be." Lizzie got up onto her knees and leaned towards him. "You don't want this Lizzie," he said once he realized what she intended.

"Yes, I do." She closed the distance between them, capturing his lips with hers. He responded instantly, one hand on the back of her neck, while the other one tangled in her dark blond locks. His hands suddenly let go and before she knew it, he grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Lizzie groaned as she broke the kiss grasping for breath. She felt his lips travel down her neck. "I… I think… we should take this… into the bedroom," she gasped out as she felt Red start to pull her shirt up. He stopped and leaned forward capturing her lips with his once again.

"Wrap your legs around my waist." She did she as she was told before he pushed himself up from the couch. They made it to the master bedroom having lost a few articles of clothing along the way. Lizzie kicked the door shut once they made it into the bedroom.

~*~ TBL ~*~

A few days later, they made it to Queensland, Australia. Lizzie was glued to the window, watching the scenery flash by. Dembe pulled into the driveway and they all got out. Lizzie looked around with a smile on her face.

"Red, this place is gorgeous," she remarked. She walked around the car and to Red's side. He took her hand in his and guided her towards the house. Lizzie marveled at the house before getting pulled inside by Red. "Wow!" she exclaimed as she walked into the foyer of the house. "When did you get this?" she asked, walking from room to room.

"Oh, I acquired this some years ago. I hardly ever get down here, so, now it's yours sweetheart," he told her. Come," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her up the stairs. He pulled her towards a pair of double doors before opening them. She gasped as she walked onto the wide-open porch that overlooked the ocean front.

"Oh, Red," she gasped out. "This is amazing. I cannot possibly take this. This is simply too much for just me."

"I want you to have a life here, Lizzie. I want you to find someone. Settle down, maybe get married again. Have the child or children you've always wanted."

"Red," she said, tears once again welling up in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Stay with me… build that life with me. You said that everything was already in 'my name', so why don't you stay with me. We could be Ray and 'Julie', instead of Red and Lizzie."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close to him as he could. "I wish I could sweetheart. I wish I could, but there are still things to be done. When I clear your name – and that day will come – _then_ I will come home to you. Come, there is more to be seen." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and guided her back into the house. He showed her each of the five bedrooms, the study, family room, rec room and he then guided her to the back of the house where they walked out through the kitchen and onto the veranda.

"Oh, Red," she remarked. She slipped off her flip-flops before taking a step into the pool. "It's so warm."

"It's heated," he told her. "There is a pool boy that comes once a week to clean the pool. He comes Sunday mornings. There is a ground keeping crew that come about every two weeks to keep up the mowing and things like that. There is also a housekeeper that comes as well. Her name is Marie. Lovely woman. Her husband comes as well. He does basic maintenance. His name is Austin."

"Should I be writing this down?" she asked. She pulled her shirt off and dropped it onto the ground.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing?" he asked, raking his eyes over her body as she started to undo her shorts. She slipped them down her legs and dropped them onto her shirt. She took a deep breath before diving into the pool. Red gulped as he watched her lithe form swim the length of the pool. She popped up right by Red's feet, making him take a step back. "Lizzie, we need to go over a few things."

"I would also like to go over a few things. Why don't you come in and 'discuss' those things?" she asked him. She looked him up and down.

"I don't have a suit," he told her.

"I didn't either," she responded.

He stared at her for a moment. "I will be right back." He turned on his heel and walked back into the house. She pouted for a moment before diving back in. She immediately came back up for air as she heard a splash. She giggled as she feels a pair of hands run up her legs. Red popped up out of the water in front of her. She wrapped her arms around him, bringing her lips to his.

"I don't really want to ask, but I have to: when do you have to leave?"

"I can stay another day or two, just so you can get your bearings here," he told her.

"Well, then I guess we better make the most of it then," she replied before kissing him again.

~*~ TBL ~*~

Lizzie looked on while Red packed his things. He was really leaving… They had a fabulous couple of days exploring the area, taking moonlit walks on the beach, and going for a midnight skinny dip. Lizzie had been surprised to find out that Julie St. Claire also had a psychology degree. So if Lizzie chose to, she could work. But Red set up everything so she wouldn't have to work a day in her life if she chose not to.

"Stay," she told him, getting up and wrapping her arms around him from the back. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"You know I can't," he told her, holding her hands with his. He brought her hand up to his mouth and laid a kiss on her palm.

"I have to do this… for you, for me – hell, for the entire task force. Those were your friends, your family that Tom Connelly threatened."

"He's dead," she said, removing her arms from around him.

"Yeah, and there will be another one to take his place. This has to end Lizzie, for everyone's sake."

She gave him a brief nod before leaving the room. She headed out of the room and down the stairs before making her way towards the kitchen where she found Dembe rooting through the fridge. She knelt down and looked through the wine fridge. She settled on a nice red wine and then started looking through the cabinets looking for a glass. "Dembe, where are the wine glasses?" she asked. He poked his head out of the fridge long enough to round the island and open a cabinet on the other side of the kitchen. he handed her a wine glass with a grin. "Thanks." She filled her glass up before walking out onto the veranda.

She stared out at the water for a few moments before she feels Red's presence behind her. "Elizabeth," he said softly. She didn't say anything, but instead took a sip of her wine. "Lizzie," he said with a sigh. He rounded the chair and knelt down in front of her. He reached up and wiped away a few tears that she didn't know had fallen from her eyes. "Listen, if the Cabal wasn't trying to get us all killed, then I would stay in a heartbeat. But I have to take these people down… for all of our sakes." She nodded her head before leaning forward and giving him a soft kiss. "There is something else. Taped to the inside of your bedside table drawer is a burner phone. It's the only way you will be able to get in touch with me. For emergencies only."

"Okay," she remarked quietly. He got up and held his hand out and she looked up at him for a moment before taking it. He led her through the house and outside to where a blue SUV was parked. "What is that?" she asked.

"Well, you need some way to get around. It's a Volkswagen Touareg. Supposedly it's the best SUV around. Dembe did all the research."

She shook her head at the two men before wrapping her arms around Red once again. "Lizzie, I love you," he said before giving her a kiss.

"I love you too," she remarked, as tears started to run down her cheeks. She let go of Red, and he turned and headed towards the car. She watched as the car backed out of the driveway, leaving her alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO**

"Dembe," she says as she hears the familiar voice on the phone. She grins widely.

"Elizabeth," he remarks quietly. "You know this is for emergencies only."

"It is an emergency. I need to see you and Red as soon as you can."

"This really isn't the best time," Dembe fires back. There was a shuffle before she heard Dembe speak her name. She listens as the phone shuffles, and she runs her hand over her expanded stomach as the little life inside kicks her hand. It had been six long years since she had seen Red last. She had decided to take a job at the local hospital in their psychology ward, mainly dealing with patients that were in abusive homes. It had taken some time, but she had an amazing group of friends that lived around her, neighbors who lived on her street, or behind her, across the canal.

"Lizzie?" she hears Red's deep voice come on the line. "What's wrong?" he asks. She can hear he was worried about her.

"How fast can you get here?" she asks, rubbing her stomach, trying to keep her nerves down.

"Lizzie…" he trails off, not sure how to respond to her request.

"Please, this is a life or death situation. It's our son!" she exclaims.

"Our…" then there is quiet on the other end of the line.

"Please. He's been taken. And my husband… my husband… was just killed because he was trying to protect him. I need you," she begs. Tears start to well up in her eyes, the hormones finally announcing themselves.

"I will be in the air within the next half hour," Red tells her before the phone cuts out. She looks at the cell phone before taking a breath, trying to keep more tears from falling, but it was no use. She was so glad that Hope was over at a friend's house and wouldn't see her mother fall apart. She makes her feet walk towards the couch, before dropping herself onto the plush cushion. She grabs a shirt from the back of the couch and breathes in her husband's scent.

"Don," she cries out, finally allowing the tears to fall. She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knows it's dusk and there's a blanket draped over her. She blinks against the sleepiness and sits up, seeing a figure standing in the next room, staring out the window. She rubs her eyes, before recognizing the figure on sight. "Red?" she asks, tears immediately pooling in her blue eyes.

Red turns and immediately walks towards her. He drops to the couch next to her before wrapping his arms around her. She clutches the back of his vest, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay to no avail. He eventually gets her calmed down before releasing her. "Ressler?" he questions, nodding towards a picture that was on a shelf behind the couch. She picks the frame up and looks at the picture of the two of them.

"He…uh… he came out of nowhere. I ran into him by accident. The twins were about a year old."

~*~ 4 Years Previous ~*~

Lizzie walked through the ER of the hospital she worked at, noises surrounding her as she fixed her one-year-old daughter, Hope Meera, on her hip. "Ray!" She tugged on the hand of her one-year-old son, Raymond Samuel, Hope's twin brother as he tried to let go of her hand.

"Liz?" She heard her name from down the hall. She froze briefly before continuing on her way, pretending that she hadn't heard her name being called. "Liz!" The unmistakable voice of her once-partner, Donald Ressler, followed her out of the hospital. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she froze, thinking that this was it. She looked up at him, and then quickly looked around.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else." He gave her a once over before he nodded his head.

"I'm sorry, my mistake. You look like an old friend of mine." She nodded at him, then motioned for him to follow her out of the ER. He followed after her, keeping his distance until they got to the parking garage. He then scooped up Ray into his arms.

"Mama!" he called, pushing against Ressler's chest.

"It's alright, Ray," she said to the boy. Ray settled in Ressler's arms. "Ress, what are you doing here? How did you find me?" she asked.

"This was a coincidence. Why did you two split up?" he asked.

"It's a long story, but uh, we were meeting with a contact and…" she trailed off and then stopped, looking at Ressler. "You're not going to turn me in, are you? I cannot go to jail. I have these two little ones now. I cannot leave them."

"You're safe. I'm not going to take you in. I promise." Ressler stared at the two children and then turned to look at Lizzie. "They look like…"

"Yeah, he is their father. Listen, why don't you come over? We can catch up and they need their mommy time as well." He followed her to her car, helping with Ray, who watched everything with wide blue eyes. They both stopped at Lizzie's SUV before she opened the back door and placed Hope in her car seat. Ressler followed suit and placed Ray into his. "Why don't you grab your car and meet me here? That way you can follow me." Ressler nodded his head and walked off. Lizzie was worried, but passed it off. Should she trust him? She made sure Hope was secure in her seat before she closed the door and went to check on Ray.

"Mama!" Ray called out. She tickled his tummy, making him laugh. "Tiss Mama! Tiss!" He smacked his lips, making Lizzie laugh. She leaned forward and gave Ray a kiss before closing the door and getting into the driver's seat. She waited until Ressler pulled up.

The drive to her house was loud, filled with Hope and Ray trying to sing along with the radio, while they clapped their hands. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she pushed a remote that was on her visor and the gate opened. She pulled into her driveway and Ressler pulled in next to her. He looked around as he got out of the car. "So, Reddington doesn't do anything on a small scale, does he?" he asked.

Lizzie chuckled before getting the twins out of the car. She slipped their bag over her shoulder before taking Hope out of her seat and pulling the girl onto her hip. Lizzie watched as Ressler did the same with Ray. Ressler followed her into the house, keeping an eye on everything. She placed Hope down in a room overflowing with toys. "You can put him in there with his sister," she told him. Ressler placed the little boy in the room before following Lizzie into the opulent kitchen.

"So…" he trailed off while looking around the place. He took a few steps towards the back wall and Lizzie smirked at the astonished look on his face. She walked over and opened the door so he could take a step out onto the veranda. "Reddington definitely doesn't do things by halves, does he?"

"Definitely not," she replied. Lizzie watched as Ressler walked around, taking a look at everything. "What are you doing here?"

"You invited me," he replied back.

"No, I meant here, as in Australia?"

"I… uh… I don't know. I needed a vacation. I got hurt pretty bad chasing after someone we thought could lead us to you. We hadn't heard from either of you for about two years now. The Post Office was kind of at a standstill. We got wind of Reddington here and there, but you just disappeared. We were chasing after a suspect we thought could lead us to either Red or you. But he turned on us pretty quickly. He took Samar out easily enough. She sustained some bumps and a few bruises, had to get about seven to eight stitches on her leg. I got shot, got my shoulder dislocated and had to get a few stitches in my arm." He pulled his sleeve up showing Lizzie gauze wrapped around his arm. "Got infected. Had to head to the ER so they could take the stitches out, clean it, re-stitch it and pump me full of antibiotics. But I also needed to get away from DC."

"Why here though?" she asked.

"I pretty much packed a bag, grabbed my passport and took off. Grabbed the first international flight I could find and it was for here. I got on the flight and here I am. Listen, Liz, I didn't set out to look for you. It was a happy coincidence that we ran into each other."

"You're not going to tell them that you found me, are you? I have Ray and Hope to think about."

"No, you have a life here. I won't jeopardize this."

"Thank you," she said giving him a smile. "Want to stay for dinner?"

"I've… uh… heard about your abilities in the kitchen, Liz. I do not want to add food poisoning to my list of ailments so far," he joked.

"I've gotten better. Took some cooking classes when I first got here. Red set up a nice little nest egg for me. I don't have to work if I don't want to. But I decided to work part time at the hospital. That's how you found me today. I was leaving work." Ressler took a seat at the island and watched as Lizzie started pulling pots and pans out. They made small talk about this and that, and about what had been going on at the Post Office.

"Liz, do you have any way to get in touch with him?" he asked. She stopped and looked at him.

"Why?" she questioned, browning up some hamburger meat.

"I think there is something fishy going on at the Post Office. I would like to talk to Red to find out if he can find out anything about our new director."

"New director?" she asked. "I thought you were director of the task force."

"Orders came down, something from higher up in the food chain. Needless to say, I wasn't director for very long," he remarked. "But there is something funky going on with the new director, and I don't like it."

"I might. You have to give me a few days to let me get in touch with either him or Dembe. The number is only for emergencies, so I'm not sure if they will get back to me. But I can try."

"That's all I ask," he said. "Can I help with anything?"

"Sure, you want to make a salad?" He nodded and she waved at the fridge. "There's a cutting board in that cabinet and bowls are by my feet," she told him. Ressler grabbed all the necessary ingredients before placing them where he had just been sitting. He grabbed a knife before starting to cut. Suddenly, there was a crash and a wail coming from down the hall. Lizzie dropped the spoon she was holding before she ran down the hall, Ressler right behind her. "Raymond Samuel," she scolded, seeing the mess her son had managed to make.

"Tiss mama!" he said, walking around the kitchen set that had been knocked over.

"Do not 'tiss mama' me!" she said back to him with a grin. She turned as Ressler started to chuckle. "What are you laughing at?"

"That is SO Reddington's son," he chuckled. Lizzie narrowed her eyes at him before unlatching the gate that kept the kids in the room. Ressler watched as she knelt down in front of Hope, who had tears running down her face. Lizzie brushed the tears away and smiled at her daughter.

"It's okay, sweet girl. Let's pick this up, okay?" Hope nodded her head and leaned forward to give her mother a kiss.

"Tiss, Mama!" Ray called as he walked over. Lizzie smiled and gave her son a kiss. She got up from the floor and quickly picked up their kitchen set, and started picking up all the toys to throw them into their bins. She nodded as she surveyed the room before she turned right into Ressler. He caught her waist before she had the chance to knock them both over. She clutched his arms as she looked up at him. Ressler caught her stare and noticed for the first time, really, how blue her eyes were.

"Um…" she trailed off, not knowing what to say. "What's happening?" she asked him.

"I don't know," he replied back. "Can we just go with it?"

"I… I don't know. You're going to be leaving in a week. I don't think it's right to get involved when I may not see you again."

"What if I didn't go back? Samar and Aram knew I didn't want to stay. I've made my displeasure known. Everyone knows I hate it there."

"This all started because I saved Red's life," she said quietly. They both turned as the smoke alarm started to go off. "Shit, dinner!" she yelled as she rushed out of the room and into the kitchen. Lizzie cried out as she burned her hand while grabbing the pan off the burner. She dropped it into the sink before she managed to drop it on the floor. She froze as Ressler's hand wrapped around her wrist and brought it to the sink where he turned the cold water on. "Shit!" she cried out as the cold water hit her hand. "So, how about some pizza?" she asked to distract herself. Ressler chuckled as he continued to run cold water over her hand.

Over the next few hours, Lizzie and Ressler had more of a chance to talk and get everything out into the open. Slowly, she could feel something start to change between the two of them. Even though she had a great group of friends, there was something missing from her life. She watched for a moment as Ressler sat on the living room floor with Hope on his lap and Ray leaning over while he read them a story. She watched as Hope started to nod off, curling into her former partner's lap while clutching a purple dragon. Ray was still wide awake, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be nodding off soon as well. She watched for a few more minutes as Ray blinked against sleep. He finally let the sandman come as he lay down on Ressler's leg.

"Who knew Donald Ressler was that good with kids," she remarked while coming back into the room. He put the book down while he shrugged. "While you were in here with them, I reached out to Dembe. I gave him a rundown of what you told me. He told me he would talk to Red."

"You don't suppose he'll get back to you by week's end, do you?" Ressler asked.

"I'm not sure. Truthfully, I wasn't even sure they were going to take my call. It's for emergencies. In case someone found me or I need to make a quick getaway or something. I didn't talk to Red seeing as he didn't want to talk to me, but I did talk to Dembe. He said he would talk to Red, express your concerns."

"Well, at least that's something," Ressler remarked. Lizzie knelt down and scooped Hope up into her arms, carrying her out of the room.

"Be careful with Ray. As soon as he gets moved, he usually wakes," she told him. Ressler got up and scooped the boy from off the floor before following Lizzie out of the room. He followed as she walked up the stairs and down a short hallway. She disappeared into a room and Ressler stopped as he watched her lower Hope into her crib. She checked the baby monitor, making sure it was on before closing the door, leaving it open only a crack. She waved him into the room next to it while she opened the door. It was much the same as Hope's room with the crib being against the farthest wall. There was a rocking chair catty corner to that with a book case and a toy chest along the opposite wall. Lizzie carefully extracted Ray from Ressler's arms before she laid him down in his crib.

"Is it always this easy?" he asked once the two were out of the room.

"God no!" she exclaimed, leading them back down stairs and into the kitchen. "Usually they have a bottle with bed, but I've been trying to get them off the bottle. Ray is more receptive to the idea. Hope is taking a lot longer to give it up. But they were at daycare today."

"And that makes a difference?" Ressler asks.

"Yeah, they are constantly doing things at daycare, whereas if we were home today we most likely would have had a lazy day." She noticed her partner was staring at her. "What?"

"I couldn't picture it," he remarked. "You would go stir crazy within a week being home all the time."

"Yes, you're right. Usually I would be. But those two keep me entertained. It's certainly not dull." She grabbed the bottle of wine off the counter and then grabbed their wine glasses before she filled them. "Come. It's a beautiful night out tonight." Lizzie headed out onto the veranda and then over to the pool. She slipped off her flip flops before she sat down and put her feet in the water. Ressler followed after her before removing his shoes and socks and rolling up his pants. He took a seat next to her, putting his own legs into the water.

"It's warm," he told her.

"It's heated."

He quieted down for a few minutes looking around at everything. "This is your life, Liz. You get to see all this every day." He waved his hand at the canal and the houses all lit up in the dusk.

"My burden to bear," she remarked. He turned to look at her and they caught each other's eyes. He fully turned to her then, taking her wine glass out of her hand. "Don?" she questioned. "We shouldn't do this."

"I think we should," he told her, bringing his hands to her face, holding it softly.

"Don…" she trailed off as he shushed her and brought his lips to hers.


	3. Chapter 3

**THREE**

They talk quietly before the doorbell sounds. Lizzie turns to Red. "I'll be right back." She disappears and Red soon heard the happy chatter of children.

"Mom, where's Ray and Dad?" a young voice asks. Red can't hear what Lizzie says back, but before he can move from the couch, two dark-haired girls walk into the living room. The older one pauses to look at Red, while the younger one keeps walking into the room. She walks right up to Red.

"Hi!" She says with a bright smile.

"Hello," Red remarks back.

"My name is Josephine Jane Michaels. That's my sister Hope Meera. What's your name?" she asks. Red opens his mouth to speak as Lizzie walks into the room.

"I know you," Hope says while walking over to Red. "You're my dad. My real one." He was speechless. He didn't know what to do or say. It wasn't very often he was at a loss for words. He turns to look at Lizzie, not sure how to respond.

"It's up to you. Don and I just told them recently."

Red made up his mind at that moment; he would acknowledge the girls' need for their well-being, but would not forget to return to the subject of knowledge withheld from him once things calmed down more. He turns back to the two girls. "Yes. I'm your father. But, uh…" he tried to think of what alias Ressler had been using, but it wasn't coming to him. Dembe had mostly taken care of that.

"Elijah," Lizzie comments, seeing his struggle to remember what Don's name was.

"I'm your father, but Elijah was your dad. He raised you, little one." He then turns to look at Josephine. "My name is Raymond. You may call me Ray."

"That's my brother's name," she tells him.

"Hey, you two. I need you guys to sit… on the couch… for a second. I need to… uh… talk to you."

"No crying, Mama," JJ – as she likes to be called – says, walking over to Lizzie and hugging her legs. "It's going to be okay."

"I wish that were true sweetheart," Lizzie says, taking JJ's hand and leading her over to the couch. They both sit and Lizzie takes a deep breath, not sure how to start this conversation. How do you tell your kids their father is not coming home and that their brother is missing?

"Mom, what's wrong?" Hope asks. Lizzie looks at her daughter and, notices the tears already welling up in her eyes. "Where's dad and Ray?"

"Um…" Lizzie takes another deep breath. "Something happened this morning. Your father… he, uh…. He won't be coming home." Tears leak out of Lizzie's eyes as Hope let's out a wail.

"Daddy is in heaven?" JJ asks as she also starts crying.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Lizzie remarks softly, opening her arms. JJ crawls into her mother's arms while Red gathers Hope into his arms. Red and Lizzie consoling the two girls.

"Where's Ray?" demands Hope.

"I don't know. He was taken by some bad people who wanted to hurt your dad and I. But… uh… Ray. He's going to help bring him home."

Hope turns to look at Red. "How are you going to bring him home?"

"I know a lot of people. They can help look for Ray. I will bring him home."

Hope nods before laying her head onto Red's chest. Lizzie watches Red with Hope, glad that she was choosing to trust him so much. "Looks good on you," Lizzie whispers to him. He ran his hand over Hope's back as she snuggles into him, having fallen asleep moments before. "Would things have been different had you known?"

"I don't know. What kind of father would I have been? I would have been gone a lot on business. I'm glad they had Donald to raise them. Now, if I may… what's the story with Josephine?"

"She prefers JJ," Lizzie says quietly before taking a deep breath. She then begins her tale.

~*~ 4 Years Previous ~*~

They had spent the last week together, getting to know one another as the people they were now and not who they had been. They talked about what they expected from each other for when or if Red came through with a new identity for Don. He had no problem helping Lizzie with the twins. In fact, they had thrived with Don being in their life, especially Hope. She had pretty much latched onto him and wouldn't let go.

Lizzie had been at a loss for words when Hope first called him 'dada'. She hadn't been expecting it and neither had Don, but he had taken it in stride. She had cried when he had told her that he would be honored to be their father. And from then on things were good. The elephant in the room, the thing they didn't want to talk about, was the fact that he had to leave at the end of the week. And who knew how long it would be before he could come back to them.

Lizzie watched as Don sat in the small yard she had and built the kids' Step2 Playhouse. She hadn't had a lot of toys for them to play with outside, so that day they had packed the kids up and headed to the toy store. Ray was having fun playing with the box it came in while Hope stood to the side and watched Don work. He was leaving tomorrow and she was going to be lost without him here.

She leaned into the back of the chair she was sitting on and eagerly held her hand out as Hope walked over to her. Her daughter snuggled into her while the two watched as Don finished up building the house. He had been building it for the better part of the afternoon, having had to stop when he realized he would need a drill to put part of it together. So he had taken to google to find the nearest hardware store. He had been gone for just half an hour since he found what he needed close by.

"Okay, and that should do it," he said, getting up and dusting off his hands.

"Are you sure this time?" Lizzie asked as she smirked at him.

"Yes," he said as he walked over to her and placed his hands on the sides of the chair she was sitting on. He grinned at her before lowering his mouth to hers. She placed her hand on his face and kissed him back.

They spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the warm weather before heading inside to cook dinner. Soon after dinner the kids started to nod off and Lizzie was happy when she finally left Hope's room, closing the door behind her. She changed quickly into a bathing suit, throwing her cover-up on over it. She found Don sitting at the edge of the pool, two wine glasses next to him. He had also changed into a pair of swim trunks.

She watched him for a few minutes before making her presence known. "Penny for your thoughts?" she asked, turning the jets on in the hot tub.

"Oh, I think my thoughts are worth more than a penny. A dime at least," he joked. He handed her a glass before following her into the hot tub.

"That much, huh?" she giggled. He nodded his head before he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against him. She laid her head against his shoulder before she sighed. "Is it wrong of me to wish there was some sort of… I don't know… something so you wouldn't have to leave tomorrow?"

He took a deep breath. "Not really, no. I don't want to leave tomorrow either. But I have to go back. I was hoping Red would get back to you by the time I had to leave."

"I'm sorry, Don," she remarked. "Listen, can I ask you a favor. If you see him or talk to him, don't mention the twins. I'm not sure if he knows or not, but…" she trailed off while gathering her thoughts. "Would it be wrong of me to keep them away from him? I want them to know him, but with his life so dangerous, I want to keep them safe."

"No, it wouldn't be wrong Liz. Not at all. So much of your life has been about danger. It's time to start putting your needs first. I mean, eventually, you should tell them that their father loves them, but he couldn't be there. Make up some excuse why. Because I'm sure if he knew about them, he would love them. It's hard not to. You've done a wonderful job with them, especially since you've been doing it on your own. You are an amazing mom, Elizabeth Keen."

"It's Julie St. Claire now," she teased him. she waited a moment before speaking again. "Don?" He turned to look at her. "I want tonight with you."

"Okay," he said before leaning over and kissing her. He pulled her onto his lap, not breaking the kiss.

They spent a blissful night together. She had prepared herself for the next day, but when she started to watch him pack she couldn't stop the tears from falling. He refused to look at her, knowing she was struggling with everything, knowing that he had to leave to head back to the States. He just hoped that Red came through for him so he wouldn't have to be separated from Liz for too long. He heard her start to cry so he dropped his clothes onto the bed and turned, gathering her into his arms.

"Don," she cried out.

"Hopefully it will only be a short while. If not, then, I don't know what's going to happen. But we have to think positive." She wrapped her arms around him as she laid her head onto his chest. He kissed the top of her head before he grabbed his bag. He stood in the doorway while looking at Liz. "I love you."

She got up and wrapped her arms around him once again. "I love you too."

~*~ 2 Months Later ~*~ Washington, D.C. ~*~

Don hated his work and that was saying a lot because he loved being an FBI agent. But knowing he was possibly working under someone who was part of the Cabal killed him. He wanted to leave and he wanted to be with Liz, Hope and Ray, but he knew his life would be under a microscope if he did. He sighed as he walked into his building. He dropped the Chinese takeout bag when he noticed his apartment door ajar. He pulled his gun out of the holster before slowly walking into his place.

"Donald, there's no need for that," Red said. Don turned to see Red sitting on his couch, making himself at home.

"What are you doing here?" he asked while walking back to his front door and grabbing his takeout that he had dropped.

"I think you know what I'm doing here. Lizzie reached out to Dembe to ask him something for you apparently. How is she doing?"

"You mean; you don't know? You don't keep tabs on her?"

"As soon as I gave her a new identity, we severed all ties. I hope she is doing well."

"She is. She works part time at the local hospital in their Psychology department and looks after a pair of twins on other days. She loves her life." Don watched as a fond smile spread across Red's face.

"That's wonderful to hear. I'm so glad. Is it your intention of going back to her?"

"Yes. I love her. It happened fast. I kept thinking I would see my partner, but I saw something more than that. I saw her as a person. I got to know who she is. And… she's amazing. Someone I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"Glad to hear that Donald. I am glad she has someone like you in her life. What's your exit strategy?"

"Well, Samar left. Went back to Mossad. She didn't like the new leadership any more than I did. Aram just left. Turned in his credentials and left… stating something about working in the private sector."

"Aram and Samar work for me now. Samar did go back to Mossad, but she severed ties with them as well. The two got in touch with me and voiced their concerns. Very much like Lizzie voiced yours. They told me that their new leader was dirty and he wanted me and Lizzie brought in dead or alive. They didn't want that. They're tucked away somewhere very secure. Now, it's your turn. What's your exit strategy?"

"I think I will just hand in my credentials and gun and be done with it. They can't do anything to me since I haven't done anything wrong. I could even hawk an excuse about my drug habit or something? It's not like it's a secret anymore."

Red nodded his head. "That sounds plausible." He took an envelope from Dembe who stood quietly behind the couch. "Here is everything you need. I suggest leaving your phone so they can't track you." Don nodded his head as the two other men walked to the front door. "Give Lizzie my best."

"I will." And with that, the two men left, leaving him alone.

~*~ TBL ~*~ 2 Months Later ~*~

He was finally free. Free of the FBI, of the Cabal, of the threat that was hanging over his head. Like he had told Reddington, he had used the excuse about his habit before handing over his badge and gun and phone after having wiped it of everything. He was escorted off the premises by the guards and that was that. He wasn't a very sentimental guy, so he didn't have a lot that he needed to bring. He donated most of his suits and his parents would take care of the rest. He had a carry-on and two bags. Liz had everything else that he would need.

The flight was long, but he was glad when he finally touched down. He was antsy the entire ride to Liz's place. He couldn't wait to see her, to wrap his arms around her. To kiss her… and to see Hope and Ray. He noticed that the gate was open when he pulled up, which was a sign that she was expecting company. He knocked on the door, but no one answered. He walked around the side of the house to see Liz with a woman he hadn't met yet. She was sitting at the edge of the pool while the other woman sat on the veranda. Liz was breath-taking in a dark blue bikini and, if he didn't know any better, he would have thought she had gained some weight. His thoughts were broken when Hope yelled out "Dada!" He turned to see Hope running toward him. He scooped her up in his arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Liz turned to see Don hugging Hope. She got up and rushed to him and he opened his arms so that she could run into them.

"Oh my God," she said. "What are you…?"

"I'm done with the taskforce – with the FBI. I quit."

"He came through?"

"He did and he sends his best."

"What am I supposed to be calling you?"

"Elijah Donald Michaels." She smiled widely before wrapping her arms around him once again. She took a step back as she felt someone tugging at her leg. She looked down to see Ray.

"Dada!" he cried. Don put Hope down before he picked Ray up and gave him a hug. He then put Ray down before looking Liz up and down, finally noticing her stomach was starting to round.

"Liz?" he asked, looking at her stomach. She grabbed his hand and put it there.

"I found out a few weeks after you left. We didn't even think about protection that night. I couldn't get in touch with you. I just prayed each night that you would come back to me."

"Oh my God," he replied before dropped to his knees and kissing her belly. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. I'm so glad you're home."


	4. Chapter 4

**FOUR**

Lizzie closes the door behind her and walks down the stairs. She looks around but doesn't see Red. "Red?" she calls.

"In the back," he calls back. She walks out and notices Red standing at the fence that separates the yard from the canal. She notices a glass on the table and chair set that decorated her veranda. She can see smoke coming from him and notices a cigar in his hand. She walks behind him and runs her hand up his back and lays her head on his shoulder.

"Have you heard anything back from Dembe?" she asks.

"No, but that just means he's on the trail. We _will_ find him Lizzie. When that time comes, you cannot be there."

"He's my son! I need to come with you… I need to…" Tears spring to Lizzie's eyes. He places his cigar down and wraps his arms around her.

"Your job is to protect this little life," he tells her, running his hand over her stomach. "I will take care of finding our little Ray. I _will_ bring him back safe and sound. Do not worry, Lizzie."

"What'll happen then?" she asks, wrapping her arm around his waist. He keeps his own arm around her and they turn to look out over the canal.

"I don't know sweetheart. Would you have me if I decided to stay?"

She sighs. "I don't know. I've just lost my husband. I've just lost Don… I don't know if I could… Maybe after some time, but I couldn't do it right now. I would like for you to be in Ray and Hope's life. She adores you so much already, and she isn't one to accept people pretty quickly. She took to you incredibly quick. She asked me why she didn't look like Don; why her and Ray didn't look like him. It forced our hand. We had planned to wait until they were a little older, so they could understand a little better. I had a few pictures of us tucked away – from that first week when you first brought me here… we took those pictures together."

"I remember. Some of those were not appropriate at _all_ , Lizzie."

She giggles. "You should have seen the look on Don's face when he stumbled across those. He was horrified."

Red laughs. "Well, I'm sure he would be. What did he say?"

"He said he saw more than he ever wanted to when it came to you. Then he proceeded to tell me that he wanted us to take our own pictures just to get our pictures out of his head. It turned out to be…"

"Stop right there," he tells her. "I don't want to know any more than that." She giggles again. "How did the kids react?"

"Um, I don't think it quite sunk in to be honest. I gave them both a picture of the two of us. I told them that even though you weren't there, weren't in their life, that you still loved them. And even though Elijah was their father in every way, you were still their father biologically."

"Hell, Lizzie, how did two five years old understand that? I couldn't even understand that."

"Don and I explained it so that they would understand. That's how Hope recognized you when she walked into the living room this afternoon."

He nods. "Tell me about your wedding to Don. You looked beautiful and happy."

"It was pretty spur of the moment actually. JJ was about two years old…"

~*~ 2 Years Previous ~*~

Lizzie sat on the veranda with two-year-old Josephine Jane – or JJ as they both called her – curled in her lap. Don walked out from the house and saw the twins playing in their little plastic cottage.

"Hey," he remarked as he dropped a kiss onto Lizzie's head. "How's she feeling?"

"Still a little out of it. She had a fever when I checked about an hour ago. How was work?"

"Tiresome."

Lizzie laughed. "That's what happens when you go into private security." He took a seat next to her and placed a black velvet box on the table. "Don?"

"Take a look." She took it and slowly opened it.

"Oh. Don," she remarked before tears sprang into her eyes. She looked down at the ring in the box. A circular stone sat between a few smaller stones that were placed in the band. The band itself was silver instead of gold, something she had told him she preferred. She looked up to see Don down on one knee in front of her. "What? Oh my God."

"Lizzie, I love you. So very much. You are my other half, my best friend, my confidante, my everything. Please, please tell me that you will become my wife. Will you marry me?"

Tears were falling down her cheeks in waves. "Yes. Yes, I will," she cried out. He sighed in relief, happy that she had said yes. He had hoped she would say yes, but at the same time he was apprehensive, knowing she had been married before and it didn't work out. "Don, come here," she said. She got up and placed JJ into a pack 'n' play that was next to the table. She then turned and wrapped her arms around him, bringing his face to hers for a kiss. "When do you want to do this?" she asks. "When do you want to get married?"

"When do you want to do this?" he asked back.

"As soon as possible. I don't want to wait. I want to marry you as soon as possible. We don't need anything fancy. I only have a handful of friends, as do you."

Don nodded his head at her train of thought. "We could have the reception at that restaurant. They have rooms for reservation and stuff."

"Or we could just rent a small hall or something… maybe have it catered."

"Yeah, but then we'd have to get decorations or something," Don remarked.

"That's very true. We should just look into renting a room at the restaurant. Would you look into that tomorrow while I head to that stationary store? I'm sure they have some invitations. We should…" she trailed off as Don silenced her with another kiss.

"Listen, hun, I understand that you've done this before, but let's take our time. I know you want to get married as soon as possible, and that's fine. I have no problem getting married whenever you want. Let's just enjoy this," he grabbed her left hand where her new ring gleamed. She smiled brightly at him while wrapping her arms around him.

"That sounds like a good plan," she remarked while kissing him again. They broke apart as JJ started to cry. Don let go of Lizzie and leaned over, picking up his daughter and snuggling her. Lizzie placed her hand onto JJ's head and smiled. "Looks like her fever is starting to come down."

"Mama!" Lizzie looked up as Hope called to her. "Mama! Ray!" Both adults turned to see Ray running for the fence they had recently installed to keep the kids away from the canal.

"Raymond Samuel!" she called. He stopped and turned, looking at her innocently.

"Looks exactly like his father," Don commented, while he shook his head. Lizzie laughed. "Seriously, though. He has the exact same look. He gets the exact same twinkle in his eye when he gets caught doing something he's not supposed to. I bet that if you walked over to him right now, he would have that little mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He's pure Reddington in toddler form."

Over the next few days, they got their little wedding together. They each invited their closest friends to the wedding, and they rented a room at their favorite restaurant for afterwards. They had gone together to look at a number of wedding bands and had each found something they both liked.

Everything was coming together nicely, except for the dress. That was one thing she still had to tackle and she just wished she had someone she was really close to, to go shopping with. Don had noticed his fiancée's mood and finally got the reasoning behind it out of her.

He then placed a discreet phone call to Dembe, asking if he could 'borrow' Samar. Dembe had questioned him and when he found out the reasoning he told him 'congratulations' before telling the younger man that he would get right on the matter. Don was glad that Lizzie would have this opportunity to see her old friend.

He had made an appointment for her to head to the bridal boutique that Lizzie wanted to look at, and when he finally dragged her there, they were both pleasantly surprised to see Samar and Aram waiting for them. It was like a family reunion with lots of hugs and tears. Don had left at that point, telling them he had to get the kids and that he would meet them later.

"Kids?" Samar questioned.

"Oh, yes," Lizzie said, eyes lighting up at the thought of the kids. She pulled her phone out and then found the picture she wanted. It was a picture of JJ, standing there with Hope and Ray on either side of her.

"Oh, Liz, they are…"

"Julie. It's Julie here," she interrupted Aram.

He nodded his head. "Yeah, Julie. My bad. They _are_ cute."

"This little one looks exactly like…"

"Yeah, Raymond Samuel and Hope Meera." Aram smiled wistfully at the mention of their deceased partner's name. "Twins. They are his. JJ is mine and Eli's."

"Wow! They are all beautiful," Samar remarked after a brief pause, handing the phone back to Liz. They chatted for a few minutes before one of the workers walked over then lead them over to a rack of dresses. Amazingly enough she had found a dress very quickly, and just half an hour later Lizzie walked out with a smile on her face and a garment bag over her shoulder. She led Samar and Aram to her vehicle before texting Don.

~*~ TBL ~*~

"Mama! Mama! Mama!" JJ called from Don's arms when she finally saw her mother. But before she could take JJ from her, Ray jumped into her arms.

"Ooh," Lizzie said with a chuckle. "Hello, handsome."

"Hi mama!" he said happily. Don walked over with Hope hiding behind him. JJ grinned and looked at Aram.

"I JJ," she said to him. "You?"

Aram pointed to himself. "I'm Aram."

"Ahram?" she questioned.

"Aram," he said again.

"Ram!" she cried out happily as she held her hands out to him. Samar smirked at his helpless expression. "Ram!" she cried out again. He took her from Don and she grinned as she touched the facial hair he had. She turned to look at Don. "Daddy, Ram!"

"Yes, sweetheart, Aram."

They spent a fabulous dinner together, reminiscing about the days at the Post Office. Ray had taken a shine to Samar, and she absolutely loved it. She told them it was like sharing a meal with the real Red.

~*~ TBL ~*~

The day of their wedding was a gorgeous day. Lizzie had been worried since it had been raining nonstop the past few days. But that particular morning, the sun was shining and it was going to be a beautiful day. Samar and Aram had forced the two apart the night before, telling them that if they wanted to do a traditional wedding, then they were going to do it traditionally.

So now, Liz and Samar were getting ready. Liz slipped the dress on and turned to look at herself in the mirror. It was nothing fancy, but it suited Liz just fine. It was short with an intricate lace design all over. Samar had curled her hair and did her makeup to give her a natural look.

"You look beautiful," Samar remarked before she threw the lipstick tube onto Liz's dresser. "You know, I always assumed you and Reddington would be here."

"If he had stayed, we might've been. Even if he did stay, I honestly don't know if it would've worked. He was dead set on clearing my name. He wanted to make it possible for me to go back to the states if I wanted to. If he ever manages to clear my name, I don't know if I would want to go back. My life is here now. The kids have friends here. It was right before he brought me here, it was actually the catalyst for him bringing me here. We attended this function… this gathering… where he was going to talk to a contact. I almost got us killed because I couldn't remember the alias he had given me. They were all starting to blend together, and I almost got us killed because I was exhausted and I didn't remember. I broke down in our hotel room after and I told him I didn't want to continue running anymore. He told me he would give me a new name and someplace safe to live and that he was doing all this to clear my name so I could go back to the Post Office… back to the FBI. And then I looked at him and said something like 'I wonder, if I go back… back to being Elizabeth Keen… would you, Aram or Ressler trust me? Would you always be second guessing me? Trusting the things that came out of my mouth?' I mean, it didn't take long for you guys to believe I did all those things."

"For what it's worth, Aram never thought you did any of those things. He was on your side the entire time. Me? Yeah, I thought you were guilty. But, I didn't know you as well as they did. Ressler, he was on the line. I think he was chasing you so hard because he wanted to protect you. You've never talked about any of this with him?"

Lizzie shook her head. "No. We decided to start fresh. Leave all the baggage behind."

"Well, that's good at least. I'm glad that you guys don't have that hanging over your head. But you know, maybe you should talk to him about it… just to clear the air."

"Maybe, I'll think about it. Now, what time is it?"

"We have to leave in a bit. I'm gonna get dressed and pull my hair back. What about Hope and JJ?"

Lizzie jumped up and ran out the door while calling for the girls. She didn't find them in their rooms so she headed downstairs. She skidded to a stop in the kitchen only to see Don kneeling down getting and JJ dressed. He looked up and gasped.

"Wow, Liz, you look incredible. I mean, you are beautiful… perfection…"

"What are you…? You're not supposed to be here. We were supposed to meet at the beach."

"I know. But I had forgotten something in the office and so I ducked in really quick, but then I saw the girls weren't dressed and so I decided to let you ladies do your pampering thing and helped by getting the girls dressed."

"Where's Ray?"

"With Aram. He's demanding to see Samar. Are you two ready?" Liz nodded her head and kneeled down to help Hope fix her hair.

"Donald Ressler!" Samar scolded. "You are _not_ supposed to be here."

"It's fine," Liz said. She looked the girls over before she nodded. "They look good. Okay, let's go."

Don scooped JJ up and then held out his hand to Liz. She took it before holding her hand out to Hope. They then walked out the door and across the street to the beach. They could already see their friends waiting for them. They had set out a few folding chairs for the guests. They arrived at the site where they were getting married and Don ran up the aisle to where Aram was standing. Samar then walked up to where she was to stand next to Liz. She pointed to Samar and told Hope and JJ to go stand with her. The two girls held hands and headed up the aisle.

The ceremony was short and sweet. They had decided to recite traditional vows instead of writing their own. Finally, the time came where the minister proclaimed them husband and wife. Instead of waiting for more of the minister's words, Don brought Liz's face to his. Their friends all clapped and cheered, while Aram whistled. Samar laughed as the girls started jumping up and down and cheering. They probably didn't know why they were cheering, but it was cute to see.

Eventually they all left the beach and headed to their cars before heading to the restaurant. It was a festive and cheerful affair. The food was good, and the conversation amazing. At the end of the night, Samar pulled Lizzie aside and handed her a key card.

"What's this?"

"It's from Aram and I. We got you a room for the night. This is our gift to you. We will take the kids to your house. We have a plane to catch tomorrow night though. So we would like to spend some more time with you before we leave."

"Oh, Samar, I can't…"

"Yes, you can. You deserve to have the night with your husband. Don has the keys to our rental and we have yours." She pushed Liz towards where Don was standing. Lizzie grinned while walking towards her husband. She turned back towards Samar. "Hey, Samar," she called. Samar turned just in time to catch Liz's bouquet.

"Um…" she croaked out, as her eyes went wide. Aram chuckled before leading her towards Liz's car. Liz wrapped her arms around Don and sighed.

"Husband."

"Wife."

"Let's go," she said, giving him a kiss and walking over to the passenger side. They both got in the car before heading off towards their hotel.

~*~ TBL ~*~

Liz cried as Samar wrapped her arms around her. She was losing her friends all over again. They were heading back to parts unknown to help Red with whatever pot his hand was in this time. They never talked about what they were doing and neither did Liz or Don ask. They were just thankful that they were able to spend this time together.

"We will see each other again," Samar said while choking back her own tears.

"I know. I know. It's just… It was really good to see you guys again. You get used to seeing someone day in and day out and then to have everything ripped away, it's hard. Especially when you know me, the real me. All of our friends know us as Elijah and Julie. You know Don and Liz and that's really nice."

"Well, I think Mr. Reddington may be able to clear your name sooner rather than later, so there's that. If that's any consolation," Aram interrupted.

"I'm not sure, but thanks," Liz shrugged. She wrapped her arms around Aram as Don gave Samar a hug.

"Ram! Ram!" JJ ran into Aram's legs, wrapping her arms around him. "No leave. No leave!" She begged. He picked her up and gave her a hug. "I have to little one. But don't worry. I will be back again."

"When?" JJ tilted her head to the side in question.

"I don't know."

"Samar! Samar!" Ray calls. Samar crouched down and opened her arms, welcoming the little boy into them. Ray wrapped his arms around her.

"You leave?" he asked.

"Yes, I have to go. I have work. But do not worry. I will come visit again."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She tickled his stomach and he laughed while trying to push her hands away. She then placed Ray on his feet and stood up.

"Hey, you guys. Next time you see Red and Dembe… will you give them both a hug, or something? Tell Red I miss him and his bear hugs."

"Bear hugs?" Aram asked.

"He will know what I'm talking about. It's an inside thing."

Samar nodded her head before walking out the door. Aram put JJ down and walked out after her. They watched as their friends got in their car and started to drive away.

"Bear hugs?" Don asked, breaking the silence. She chuckled before she shook her head. "Why don't we…" he trailed off as a loud crash echoed through the house and Hope's scream followed after. "Never mind. Rain check?"

"I'll hold you to that," she remarked as she shut the door and followed Hope's cries up the stairs with Don following close behind.


	5. Chapter 5

I am so sorry for not updating sooner. There is really no excuse for it. I will tell you this: this hiatus is killing me. It's been SOOOO long! Thank you for being patient and waiting for those of you that are still reading this. Apparently this story is losing some fans because of the characters, but i really hope you guys stick with it. You will not be disappointed!

~*~ TBL ~*~

The night was long with Lizzie up every hour between the two girls, who were also up. She finally gave up on trying to sleep at around 4 AM. She slips out of her PJs and into a bathing suit before slipping one of Don's button-downs over it. She walks down the stairs to see the back door open and Red standing at the fence. Lizzie steps out the door and grabs a towel off of a drying rack that she had left there for their pool towels.

"Still not sleeping?" she asks.

"Rarely," he replies. He takes a sip of the drink that was in his hand. "I've never slept so well as when I did with you."

She runs her hand over his back before walking past him and towards the pool. She drops her towel and the shirt before taking a step into the pool. She then dives in and starts doing laps, from one end to the other. Red watches her before turning his head to where his phone is buzzing on the table. He takes one more look at Lizzie before grabbing his phone and walking away. He walks into the house before answering the call, not sure what kind of news he's going to get.

"Red, everything okay?" Lizzie calls out from the pool. Red turns and holds up his hand, listening to Dembe on the other end. He confirms a few things with his right-hand man before getting off the phone. He places his phone on the island in the kitchen before turning to Lizzie.

"It seems we are achieving some success in narrowing down who took Ray and where they are. Dembe says it'll most likely take another few hours, but he's still not sure."

"Did you ID the people who took him?"

"Not yet. But we _are_ working on it, Lizzie. My people are the best at what they do. We will get him back, I promise."

"I know you will. I know." Her voice rings with her faith in him. She towels off and takes a seat at the table, when suddenly she crumbles. "I miss him, Ray," she cries out as tears spring to her eyes.

Red rounds the table and gathers her into his arms. "I know you do, sweetheart."

"I keep wondering if they're taking care of him. What they're doing to him. I hope they're taking care of him." She puts her head onto his shoulder, letting her breaths even out before suddenly sitting upright again. "Samar!" she exclaims.

"What about Samar?" he asks.

"Is she here? Did she come with you?" Red stares at her. "When you find out where Ray is, bring her with you. He adores her. She'll be someone that he recognizes."

"How does he even know her?"

"Our wedding," she says simply.

"What about your wedding?"

"They were there. Samar and Aram were at our wedding," she says, walking over to a shelf and taking a picture out from the back. She hands it to Red and he looks at it, seeing the four of them together. "We decided to keep the frame out, but put it in the back so it wouldn't catch anyone's attention. But Ray really bonded with Samar while she was here and JJ just fell in love with Aram. You didn't know?"

Red shakes his head. "No. They are based in one place. They don't travel with me and Dembe…" he trails off as a lightbulb goes off over his head. "Dembe knew, didn't he?"

Lizzie nods. "Don got in touch with him… as a surprise for me. He knew how I wished I had a friend or someone here for the wedding. So he got in touch with Dembe about maybe flying Samar in."

He nods his head in understanding. "I will have the two come, then. Aram will be a big help with all of this, especially. We will get little Ray back. And you worrying about whether they are taking care of him and treating him right… that is what makes you an amazing mother."

She starts to cry and wraps her arms around him. "Thank you."

He rubs her back and then steps away from Lizzie while bringing his phone up to his ear as it dials. He soon places the phone back onto the table. "They will be here as soon as my jet picks them up."

"Thank you, Red," Lizzie remarks with a yawn.

"Why don't you head to bed? You need some sleep Lizzie. You've been up every hour with your girls since you went to bed. You and that little munchkin need the sleep."

She nods. "I will. But I cannot sleep in that bed. I cannot sleep where we… where we…" she trails off as tears start to fall down her cheeks.

Red runs his hand up and down her back in a soothing motion. "Okay, sweetheart. Why don't you go get changed? You have a guest bedroom."

"Not really. The girls and Ray each have their own rooms and last bedroom is being turned into a nursery. I'll just lie down on the couch. At this point, I could sleep anywhere." She gets up and heads out of the room. She returns a few minutes later in a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt. She gets comfortable on one of the couches before Red drapes a blanket over her. She yawns once again before placing her hand onto her stomach. "Wait," she says before grabbing his hand. He stops and takes a deep breath before turning to her. He sits on the couch next to her and she places his hand onto her stomach.

Red smiles at her as he feels the life inside of her moving and kicking his hand. "Thank you, Lizzie."

"It's a boy. I didn't get to tell him. I just found out a few days ago and I was going to surprise him. He was happy no matter what it turned out to be, but at the same time he was really hoping for a boy. He wanted a little boy version of himself."

"A little ginger-haired Donald Ressler Jr?" Red asks.

"Something like that," she tells him. "I remember when I first told him I was pregnant. It was the first time I really got to tell someone, you know? I never got to share it with you… I mean, I could have called you at any time but there was always something holding me back. There was always a little voice in the back of my mind telling me that you wouldn't come back." She shrugs. "Maybe that was just the devil on my shoulder. And there was no way I would have been able to contact Don when I found out about JJ. But he was so excited. He didn't miss too much. The only thing he missed was me throwing up all the time."

"I remember when Carla was pregnant with Jennifer…" he trails off and Lizzie holds her breath. He's never talked about his past at all, so she hopes that he'll continue this time, and offer a glimpse into his history. "She was as sick as a dog. Cursed me to hell. Couldn't even stand to be in the same room as me when I was wearing my cologne. I had to start showering with unscented soap and shampoo."

Lizzie giggles upon hearing the story. "I was the same way at the beginning of this pregnancy. With the twins I couldn't use condiments. I had to eat everything plain. With JJ, it wasn't one specific thing. But every morning like clockwork, and at various times throughout the day, I would always have to find the bathroom wherever I went. Because even the littlest thing would make me nauseous. But at the beginning of this one, Don had to shower with something that didn't smell. We went through the entire soap and shampoo aisle at the store to see what wouldn't set me off. We both were unhappy because I loved the soap and shampoo that he used."

"How would you have told me? That you were pregnant?" Red asks as he watches Lizzie blink a few times against sleep.

She yawns again and grins. "I would have been nervous. I'd maybe stammer through it. I'd want to go to the doctor first, just to make sure. I would have wanted an ultrasound picture to show you. I would stop at the store and try to find a picture frame that said 'world's greatest dad' or something equally corny." She giggles at that, enjoying the chance to forget her current troubles. "I would put the picture in the frame and then wrap it. I would be too nervous to make dinner, so I would order in. You would notice that I had something on my mind, but you would wait for me to tell you. After dinner, I would hand you your present."

He watches as she blinks against sleep a few more times. He drops his voice to an almost whisper. "Would I be happy?"

"Yes. At least I would hope so. But you would be nervous. With the life that we lead, you would amp up security. It would drive me crazy, but I would put up with it for you… knowing that you were doing it to keep me safe."

"Would we live here?" he whispers.

"Maybe," she replies just as quietly before closing her eyes. He watches as she loses the fight against the sandman. He feels her hand go slack over his, but he keeps his hand on her stomach, feeling the little boy move within Lizzie. He wished he had known she was pregnant with their twins. He might not have been there for her, but he would have liked to have been part of their life. Maybe she would let him be part of her family now. With Ressler gone, it would be up to him to make sure she was okay. He would take over for Donald in any way that he could, in any way she would let him. He keeps watch over her sleeping form as the sun begins to rise.

~*~ TBL ~*~

Lizzie wakes to a bright, sun-filled room. She tugs on the blanket that had somehow got tangled around her legs. She could hear laughing coming from the kitchen and turns to look toward where the TV was set up in the corner and squints at the clock on the DVD player. She gasps and throws the blanket off of her to rush into the kitchen.

"Ray, why didn't you wake me up?" She stops when she notices that he isn't alone in the kitchen. "Oh," she says. Samar was the first to react. She gets up and walks hesitantly toward Lizzie.

"Liz, I…" she trails off not knowing how to voice her thoughts.

Lizzie smiles at Samar. "I know. I know. I didn't think it would be like this. I didn't think I would lose him so soon." Tears start to form in her eyes. "Great. Now I'm crying again. I feel like that's all I've been doing."

"Well, you have good reason," Samar says, looking over Lizzie's form. "And another one? I don't know how you do it. I don't know if I can last through this morning sickness."

"Oh my God!" Lizzie squeals, throwing her arms around Samar and pulling her into a hug. She finally let's go of her friend. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," Samar blushes. "We wanted to wait to tell people. But now is as good a time as any, I suppose."

"I am so happy for you! Oh, this is the best news. Something bright in all this darkness…" Lizzie then turns to Aram. "Come here." She wraps her arms around him and gives him a hug. "I really am happy for the both of you. You guys deserve this. And I just want to thank you for coming on such short notice. But this means that you won't be able to go with them when they find Ray, Samar," she said the last as she turned back towards the other woman.

"I can go," Samar complains.

"Absolutely not," Red says, coming into the conversation for the first time.

"Red," Samar begins, turning to her employer.

"No. I am very happy for both of you, I am, but I will not jeopardize that little life. You'll stay here with Lizzie and the girls. Aram, I would like for you to head to where Dembe is. He could use your help."

"I would be glad to," Aram says with a happy smile.

"Good. I will let Dembe know."

They all turn to Samar as she lets out a yawn. "Sorry. Not enough sleep. The plane ride was unbearable. I was sick the entire time."

"You should take Lizzie's bed," Red tells her.

"Oh, I couldn't do that," Samar says.

Lizzie grins as Red picks up his phone and walks out of the room with a quirk of an eyebrow at his employee. Lizzie then turns to Samar. "No, you definitely should. You've come all this way to help me. Get some sleep Samar," Lizzie tells her.

Samar yawns again, finally relenting. "Yeah, okay." She holds her hand out to Aram and he takes it as they walk out of the room. Red walks back into the room and looks around.

"She finally took our advice. She's going to lie down."

Red nods his head. "Good, that's good. I'm glad to hear it. Dembe will be here in twenty." He looks at Lizzie, concerned when she winces before rubbing her stomach. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

She smiles at him before nodding and waving him off. "Yeah, just a sharp kick. I think this little boy is going to be some sort of soccer player or maybe a professional kicker for the NFL."

"Are you sure? Do you need to lie down?" Lizzie looks at him before shaking her head.

"Is this what you would have been like had you been around for the twins?" she asks, tilting her head and looking at him curiously.

He shrugs his shoulders. "It's a good possibility. Although, I think I would have been worse. Just because you had two in there." He takes a few steps in her direction before slowly laying his hands onto her stomach. "Now, Donald Jr," he smirks as she rolls her eyes at the nickname, "you need to settle down for your mama. I know your mama is going through a lot right now, but you need to settle down. You moving around is okay, but be careful of the kicking." He laughs as he feels a sharp kick against his hand. "Even in utero Donald Jr is not happy with me. Was that ingrained in his DNA? To hate me?"

Lizzie shakes her head. "That wasn't the name we were going to give him. Don didn't want his name associated with his son. But now that I think about it, I think that's what I'm going to do. Maybe Elijah Donald Michaels Jr. I mean, it would make the most sense. Me wanting to name him after his father, especially now..."

Red nods his head along with Lizzie's train of thought. "Yes, I think that would be the most prudent idea."

"And you know… he didn't hate you. Not at all. Well, okay, maybe in the beginning he did. But after working together over those years, he began to like you. What he didn't like were your methods. But once you came through for him with the new identity and all, he really came to respect you. He knew you had no reason to come through for him. It all came down to me. You did it for me."

"I did it for both of you, not just you. When I went to see him that day, he looked pretty miserable. So if he was feeling and looking like he did, then you must have as well. I just wanted you to be happy."

She wraps her arms around him in a hug before sitting back down in her chair. "Thank you… And yes, I was happy. We were happy. I never in a million years thought I would lose him so soon. I just feel like the universe is out to get me. Am I not allowed to be happy with my husbands? First Tom and now Don?"

Red stares at Lizzie for a moment. He was upset for her, but didn't quite know what to do or say for her in this moment. They both suddenly turn as feet come running down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Mommy!" JJ calls, running right to Lizzie. JJ holds her hands up but before Lizzie could react, Red scoops up the girl and places her onto Lizzie's lap. He grins at her as she narrows her eyes at him. He shrugs before looking down at Hope, who was following her sister at a slower pace. Without saying a word, she holds her hands out and he picks her up.

"What were you girls doing?" Lizzie asks, looking at each of her daughters in turn. She smiles at the sight of Red and Hope. The girl had laid her head onto Red's shoulder and he had closed his eyes at the contact.

"Well…" JJ trails off dramatically. "First, we got up and Mr. Ray made us breakfast. Then Ram and Samar came."

"Really?" Lizzie asks, smiling at her daughter's exuberance.

"Really! And then I wanted to see you, but Mr. Ray, Aram and Samar told us that you were sleeping. So we've been playing with Hopie's dolls and Barbie's."

"Well, that was nice of her, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes. She's the best sister. Mommy, I'm hungry."

"Alright, how about some sandwiches and then you two can have some pool time."

"Yes," JJ grins as she slides off of Lizzie's lap and then heads out of the kitchen. Lizzie gets up and runs her hand over Hope's back.

The girl opens her eyes to look at her mother, who asks: "Do you want a sandwich, sweet girl?"

Hope shakes her head. "No," her voice was hoarse.

"Oh, sweet girl. You not feeling well?" Hope shakes her head again. "Soup?" Lizzie tries once more. This time she gets a nod. They both turn as the front door opens. There's a moment of quiet before 'Who are you?' comes from JJ. There are a few more minutes of silence, and Lizzie finally speaks up. "Should I be worried?" She hadn't been concerned since Red wasn't, but the silence in now unnerving her.

"It's just Dembe. He _adores_ children. JJ probably has him playing tea with her. He wouldn't be able to say no to her."

"Tea?" she asks.

"Does she not play tea? Jennifer used to rope me into playing tea party with her. Carla had so many blackmail pictures. My navy buddies used to make fun of me all the time for it. But those of them that had daughters, well, they went through the same thing."

"What I wouldn't give to see those pictures," she chuckles.

"I was amazing at playing tea. Jennifer loved it." They turn as footsteps walk down the hallway. Dembe appears in the doorway of the kitchen. Lizzie smiles at the sight of her friend. She gets up from her chair and crosses the room. They wrap their arms around each other in a tight hug.

"Liz, it is finally good to see you again. And you are looking marvelous," he holds her hands and takes a step back looking over her form. Lizzie giggles before turning to look at Red, who smiles at the sight of them. "Is Aram ready to go?" Dembe asks.

"I'll go and get him. Samar is resting right now," she says. "There are cans of soup in the cupboard. Will you start one for Hope? I'm gonna grab a thermometer while I'm upstairs." She walks out of the room and up the stairs. She peaks into her bedroom to see Aram sitting on her bed, Samar's head in his lap. "Hey, Aram," she whispers. He looks up at her and smiles. "Dembe is here." She walks past him and into her bathroom. She quickly looks through her medicine cabinet and finally finds the kid's thermometer. She walks back into her room to see Aram sneaking out from underneath Samar, trying not to wake her. "How's she doing?"

"She was knocked out as soon as her head hit the pillow. Thanks for letting her sleep. She needed it," he responds softly, then leans down to kiss Samar on the forehead.

"Oh, it was no problem. I'm glad you two have each other." They leave the room, Aram throwing one last look at Samar before shutting the door behind him. "One word of advice?" she asks, watching him nod. "Hold each other close. You never know…" she takes a deep breath, "You never know… how long you will have them for."

Aram takes a step towards Lizzie and wraps his arms around her. "I miss him too."


	6. Chapter 6

"Lizzie?" Red asks as they quietly make dinner after Aram and Dembe had left. She stops cutting a tomato, putting down the knife as she looks at her companion. "How did you tell him?"

"How did I tell who, what?" she asks, not understanding his question.

"How did you tell Donald about Donald Jr?" 

She rolls her eyes. "Stop calling him that."

Red smiles in her direction, loving how he can still get under her skin, even after all their time apart. There was a soft sniffle coming from the girl in Red's arms and Lizzie walks across the kitchen, running her hand over Hope's back. "She's fine, Lizzie."

Lizzie tries to take her from Red's arms, but Hope holds onto her father. "No, Daddy!" she says.

"Ok, sweet girl. Red…" she trails off.

"She's fine. Go back to making our dinner." The two lapse into silence before Red tries to find out exactly how Lizzie told Don about the baby. "Lizzie," he says again, taking a seat on one of the chairs that line the island. She looks across the island at him and sighs, knowing exactly what he wants.

"Don't laugh, okay? It's actually kind of corny. And there is a slight backstory to this, so be patient. When I first lived here, I didn't want to immediately go out and get a job. I knew you left me with enough money, that I was set." Red nods at that.

"I wanted you to be comfortable."

She waves him off. "I know. Well, I found out I was pregnant about two months after you left. So, shortly after that I decided to look into some cooking classes. You know me, I couldn't cook to save my life. So, that's where I learned to cook. Now, flash forward to when I was pregnant with JJ. I had pregnancy brain like you would not believe. So, one night, I put something in the oven and left it there, without turning the oven on. I almost burned down our house because I was up in the middle of the night wanting apple pie, and Don was eager to warm some up for me." Red full-out laughs at that. She smiles at him while pointing her knife at him in jest. "It was horrible. The twins were about 18 months old at the time. So Don puts the oven on, wanting to warm up the apple pie for me, and whatever I had put in the oven starts flaming like crazy. The oven starts smoking. The smoke detector is going off. Don is rushing us out of the house. It was a complete nightmare. The oven was ruined. We had to get a whole new oven."

Red turns to look at the stove. "I thought it looked different."

Lizzie nods her head. "Yeah, well, we found a stove that looked really close, but then I found that stove and fell in love with it even more. Which then we had to get a new overhead vent to fit the width of it. Which then led to remodeling that whole section because the stove and the vent were too big. It was a project. But we liked how it all fit together in the end."

"Who did it?" Red asks, staring over at the stove area.

"You left a folder containing all the details about the house and the contractors and all that, so we just used the same people." Red nods in agreement. They both turn as they hear footsteps coming down the hall. Samar appears in the doorway and surveils the kitchen.

"Feel better?" Lizzie asks.

Samar shrugs. "Sort of. I think once I get a good night's sleep I'll feel even better." They both nod, Lizzie feeling for her friend.

"What are we talking about?" Samar asks.

"The kitchen. Well, the story starts around the time I was about five/six months pregnant with JJ." Lizzie then launches into the story again, making Samar and Red laugh. "So, then we had to find the contractor who redid the kitchen. We found them and they had to come in and talk with the guys who were installing the stove and the vent. They had to take out half the cabinets on the bottom and top. But I think it all came together rather well."

"It doesn't even look out of place. It fits in rather well. So what started this trip down memory lane?"

"Oh, Red asked how I told Don about the baby."

Samar nods, smiling fondly at her own memory. "I kind of blurted it out to Aram. We were looking through some files that Red had asked Aram to go through. He started talking about families, or someone that had a family to exploit. And I just kind of blurted out that I was pregnant. He almost dropped his laptop. He went to sit on a chair and completely missed. Landed flat on his ass."

Lizzie giggles at the image invoked in her head. "Well, after the whole incident with the fire and everything else, Don took to looking in the oven every time he needed to preheat it. So for dinner the night in question I threw a package of buns in the oven. Then I started putting little hints around, like baby peas and carrots with our dinner. By the end, he threw in the towel and wanted to know what was going on. So, I had to give a few prompts. Never say that Don is not a softie. As soon as he realized what I was telling him, he dropped to his knees and started to kiss my stomach. I never…I never got to tell him it was a boy though."

"He knows, Liz," Samar says, walking around the island and giving her friend a hug while rubbing her back. Lizzie nods while her eyes watered. Lizzie wipes her eyes before going back to cutting up the tomato. She looks up as Hope starts to cough.

"Uh, Red, you might want to bring her into the bathroom. She looks like she's about to throw up." Red jumps up as Hope then starts to gag. He rushes into the bathroom with Lizzie hot on his heels. He places Hope onto her feet, who leans over the toilet as she starts to throw up. She starts to cry as Lizzie kneels down next to her. "It's all right sweet girl. Just get it all out. Ray, I'm gonna need an ice pack wrapped in a facecloth. I have a few ice packs in the freezer, in the door. There's hand towels in that cabinet there." She waves to a cabinet to the right of her. She brings her arm up to Hope's head to feel her daughter's hot head. "Ray, please!" she begs.

She feels him leave the room and come back a few seconds later before rummaging through the cabinets. He finds a facecloth and then whirls around as he hears Lizzie let out a gasp. He drops to his knees next to them as Lizzie holds a shaking Hope in her arms.

"Lizzie?"

"She's having a seizure."

"Lean against me sweetheart." Red sits behind Lizzie who leans back against his chest. She hugs Hope to her, before leaning down and dropping a kiss onto her head. She whispers soothing words to her daughter. "What's happening?" he asks.

"She's diabetic. If her blood sugar gets too low she ends up having seizures. Me and Don have been fighting with the insurance company about getting her an insulin pump. We spent days looking over them all and finally decided on one. Its top of the line, but the insurance company wouldn't accept the one we chose. We've been on top of her insulin, but with everything going on, it's been difficult. I should've been more on top of it. Ray, I…" she starts to cry and Red wraps his arms around her. "Our daughter…"

"Shh, it's okay. I will take care of everything."

"I feel so bad. I should have seen it coming. The sleeplessness last night. She complained that she was tired, but then she couldn't sleep."

"She was sweating this morning and then she was coloring at the island and her hands started to shake. JJ asked for me to put her on the counter and then she went into the cabinet and got a piece of candy and gave it to her. She seemed okay after that. I didn't think anything of it. Does Ray have it?" Lizzie shakes her head at his question. "When did you find out?"

"About a year ago. It was a night like last night. She was so tired, but she couldn't sleep at all. She started sweating and shaking. Complained about her head hurting. She got really loopy and then she started to have a seizure. We rushed her to the ER where they ran a bunch of tests. Scared the hell out of me, out of Don as well. They finally told us that she was diabetic and when her blood sugar gets too low, it could cause a seizure. We started to read up on having a diabetic child and what that would entail. We changed our diet; we even changed the kids' diet to fit in with Hope's. We started with the regular insulin and readings, but then six months ago Don read up on this kid's insulin pump and we thought it would be better for her. So we talked to a rep at the hospital that specialized in pumps for kids. She gave us a website where we could look at all the different kinds and brands; something that would suit her and her lifestyle. So we chose one, one of the best ones for her. But the insurance company wouldn't go for it. They gave us and alternate recommendation. One that was crappy and wouldn't fit her. So we've been back and forth with the insurance company for the last six months about this. I should have told you. It just slipped my mind. I'm so sorry…"

"Lizzie, your mind has been preoccupied with Ray, it's understandable. But this is our daughter's life. Her health."

"I know!" she cries out guiltily.

"Lizzie," he says again. He feels more than sees her let out a sigh of relief. Their daughter became quiet as she stops seizing. She opens her eyes a few minutes later.

"Mama?" she asks in a soft voice. "Daddy?"

"Yeah, we're here sweet girl. Let's get you up and check your blood sugar. We're going to get you something to eat and then get you to bed. You need some sleep."

"Daddy?" she calls. Red comes forward and looks down at his daughter. She holds her hands out to him and he looks at Lizzie, who nods her head. Red gets to his knees and then scoops Hope into his arms. They walk into the kitchen and Samar looks up sharply at their return.

"Everything okay?" she asks.

"Yeah, seizure," Lizzie says offhandedly.

"What?" Samar gets up and walks over to them.

"Yeah, we found out about a year ago that she was diabetic. She had a seizure the night we found out and we had to rush her to the hospital. If her blood sugar gets too low, it can cause a seizure. Tonight was one such night. I've been so distracted with Ray and Don that I just..." she trails off as tears well up in her eyes once more. "I've been stretched pretty thin the past few days."

Samar walks around the island and wraps her arms around Lizzie. Lizzie takes a step back as Samar drops her arms after a few seconds. They watch as she opens one of the drawers and pulls the necessary equipment out. "Okay, sweet girl, let me see your hand." Hope holds her hand out to her mother while Lizzie pricks her finger. The meter beeps and Lizzie looks at it and curses. "Ok, Hopie, let's get you something to eat." She nods slowly and then leans on her father's chest.

They watch as she gives Hope a dose of insulin and Red could see a little bit of color return to Hope's face. They all remain quiet as Lizzie makes a quick dinner for Hope, who eats happily but slowly. "Thank you Mama," she says.

"You're welcome sweet girl," Lizzie says, giving Hope a kiss on the top of her head. "Are you done?" she asks once Hope pushes her plate away. Hope nods her head before wrapping her arms around Red once again. "Follow me, Red," she says.

She leads him out of the kitchen and into the hallway. She walks up the stairs and Red follows. She leads him into Hope's room and he takes a look around. The walls are painted a soothing, pale green. There are pictures all over the walls, some of them doodles his daughter had made, some of them pictures of them as a family. He gasps as Lizzie puts a light on and he really looks around. He walks over and sits on the edge of Hope's bed. He spies a picture on Hope's nightstand and picks it up. He stares at it and smiles at the sight of Lizzie and himself staring back at him.

Red feels Hope crawl out of his arms and to where Lizzie was standing. He watches as Lizzie helps Hope change and get into her pajamas. Hope giggles as Lizzie tickles her stomach. He keeps an eye on mother and daughter, watching them interact with each other, watching their mannerisms. He could tell that they had a close relationship. They both turn as feet come rushing up the stairs. Samar runs into the room holding her phone to her ear.

"It's Dembe. They found Ray."

"What?" Lizzie asks as she stops helping Hope with her PJs. Red gets up from Hope's bed and takes the phone from Samar. He walks out of the room, conversing quietly with Dembe.

"Mama, Ray-Ray?" Hope asks. "Is Daddy going to find him? Bring him home?"

"He will sweet girl. He will. Let's go brush your teeth? Then we can read a story?"

"Daddy? Will Daddy read me a story?" Lizzie's heart breaks at her daughter's question. She knows Red will want to go with Dembe to find Ray. She brings Hope into the bathroom and helps her brush her teeth, considering she is still weak. She then brings her back into her bedroom. "Why don't you go and get a book?"

"Daddy?" she asks.

"I'm not sure. Look at the pictures and I'll be right back." Lizzie leaves the room and can hear Red's deep timbre coming from her bedroom. She walks in and stands in the doorway, watching as he takes a seat on her bed. He talks to Dembe for a few minutes and then hangs up. He turns to see Lizzie watching him. "Are you going with Dembe and your team to get Ray?" she asks.

"He's on his way here now to get me. Aram will stay with you two."

"I want to go, Red," she remarks. "I mean; I want to be there for Ray. He's our son, Red. Please. Aram and Samar can stay here with the girls. I'll even stay in the car." She crosses the room and takes a seat next to him. "Please?"

He sighs before nodding. "Fine, but you stay in the car."

She wraps her arms around Red. "Thank you."

She then gets up and pushes Red out of her room. "Lizzie…"

"I have to get dressed," she says, giving him a smile.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before," he tells her. She rolls her eyes as she shuts the door. "Five minutes," he calls to her.

Five minutes later she walks down the stairs in a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeved blue shirt. She had pulled her hair back into a messy bun. She stops in the doorway to see Red and Dembe talking quietly while Aram had his arms around Samar, who was sitting at the island.

"I'm ready," she says as she walks into the room. Aram drops his arms from around Samar and gives her a light smile. "Listen, I don't want you to walk on eggshells around me. It's going to take some time, but I _will_ be okay. I have the kids and this little one to think about," she runs her hand over her stomach. "Are we ready to go?"

"We are," Dembe walks over to her at Red's words. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug, whispering words of promise into her ear about getting Ray back. She nods against his chest and he steps away to walk out of the kitchen. She turns to Red and he wraps his arm around her as they follow Dembe out of the house and over to some sort of black SUV. Once inside they pull away from the house "Promise me that you will not get out of this car. Lizzie, I cannot stress it enough. It's imperative you stay in the car."

"I know, Red. I'm not going to risk my son; either of them."

"No matter what you hear," he stares at her.

"No matter what I hear," she parrots back.

"We'll get him back sweetheart. I promise." She lays her head on his shoulder and they quietly drive through the country-side. The car stops suddenly and she sits up only to see a few familiar faces from Red's assault team. She gasps as she sees one particular familiar face in the crowd. She gets out of the car at the same time as Dembe and Red do, expecting it to be okay for the moment.

"Hello Dearie," Mr. Kaplan approaches Lizzie, who smiles at the older woman and gives her a big hug.

"Kate," she says. "I'm so glad to see you."

"You are looking well. I'm sorry to hear about your husband."

"Thank you," she remarks. "Is Ray in there?"

"We've tracked them down to this warehouse," Kate tells her. She nods and they all turn as Red's team starts to line up.

"Lizzie, Kate," Red interrupts. They both turn to see him standing by the open door of the SUV.

"Bring him home, Raymond, please," Lizzie says, holding his face in her hands. He places his hands over hers and gives them a squeeze. She gives him a light kiss on the cheek before getting in the car.

It was a long few minutes before the sound of gunfire could be heard coming from within the depths of the warehouse. Lizzie looks up sharply and grips Kate's hand tightly. "Raymond will get your son back," Kate tells her.

"Our son," she says absently. Kate looks over at the younger woman, eyes wide. "When he first brought me here, we spent an incredible week together. I got pregnant in that time, but never told him. I have a beautiful son and daughter."

"Twins?" Kate asks. Lizzie nods her head.

"Hope Meera and Raymond Samuel."

"And then you had another one with your partner, I know. Who I know for a fact Red gave a new identity to."

"Yeah," she says wistfully. "We married about a year, year and a half after he moved here. We had a daughter, Josephine Jane, or JJ as we call her. And now this one. Someone either found out about Ray or Ressler even. We put quite a few people away during our time at the Post Office. I'm not even sure who took them. I was in a store when Ressler was… was killed… and they took Ray. The girls were at a friend's birthday party that day. That's the only thing I'm really thankful for. I've been a wreck for days. Hope's blood sugar dipped too low last night and she had a seizure."

"Your daughter is diabetic?" Kate asks.

"She is. Don and I have been fighting with the insurance company about getting an insulin pump for her. The one that we want, they won't cover. But I think Ray is going to get it for her."

"Of course he is. He would do anything for his children." Mr. Kaplan states firmly, getting rid of any lingering doubts in Lizzie's mind. "The question is going to be what's going to happen when this is all over with?"

Lizzie already knew the answer to that, having thought long and hard on the very same issue over the last few days. "I want him to be in their life. Hope is already calling him daddy. She's already attached to him. And she doesn't get attached to people easily. She's always been that way. She adored Don, but at the same time, there was always a distance between them. It wasn't anything that I did, or him, it was all her. Don never treated Ray or Hope any differently than he did JJ." Kate nods at Lizzie's explanation. Lizzie looks up as the door to the warehouse swings open. She rushes out of the car as Red walks out with Ray in his arms. "Ray!" she calls running over to them.

"Mama!" he calls back upon seeing his mother for the first time in days. Tears spring into her eyes as she takes her son into her arms.

"Thank you," she cries out as Red wraps his arms around her waist and guides her back towards the car.


	7. Chapter 7

"Okay, Elizabeth, one more big push," the doctor tells her.

She shakes her head. "No, no I cannot. I'm done. No more," she remarks.

"Lizzie, sweetheart," she turns her head to look at Ray. "You can do it. I have complete faith. Bring little Elijah into this world." She shakes her head once again. "Sweetheart…" he takes her hand into his and gives her knuckles a light kiss.

The pain was unbearable. She takes a few deep breaths as Red lays a cool facecloth onto her forehead. "I can't. It hurts so bad," she tells him. "Everything hurts. Ray, I feel like I'm going to be sick." He grabs a bucket and shoves it under her as she gets sick.

"Okay, here is what we are going to do. Mr. Reed," the doctor looks at Red. "I want you to sit behind Elizabeth." Red runs his hand over Lizzie's hair and follows the doctor's direction. Lizzie scoots forward with the doctor's help and Red gets behind her. "Now, Elizabeth, I want you to lean back on him. Let him hold your weight. You're going to have to hold your legs." The doctor nods her head as Elizabeth does as instructed. "Good. Now, on the next contraction I want you to push. I can see the head, so one or two more pushes and you will get the head out."

"Oh, God," Lizzie says as she feels the next contraction hit. She bears down and pushes.

~*~ Four Months Earlier ~*~

Lizzie knows she has a lot of choices to make regarding her future and her family, but for the moment all that matters was making sure that little Ray was doing okay. The next morning, Red has a doctor friend of his come to look his son over. She gives them both a big smile and tells them that he is okay. A few bumps and bruises but everything else was normal. And Ray, very much like his father, lets everything roll off of him. He does keep mentioning a Jacob to them, and that he had made sure Ray was comfortable and fed.

Lizzie asks Ray who this 'Jacob' is, and Ray looked up at his parents and tells them that he was also called 'Tom'. Lizzie looks at Red with a fearful look, grabbing his arm.

"Tell me your team killed him. Please tell me," she begs.

"I did not see any trace of Tom Keen in that warehouse Lizzie. When I found Ray, he was in a room and just sitting on a mattress. There was no one else in that room. My team rounded up all the men that weren't dead. Tom Keen wasn't there."

"Oh God," she gasps out, laying her head on his shoulder.

"He was nice to me mommy," Ray says in his sweet little voice. "When he first heard the guns he told me to stay sitting on the bed and that my daddy would come and get me. And then he did!" Ray's eyes go wide and he starts giggling. Lizzie smiles at the sight of her son as she runs her hand over his dark hair.

"Did Jacob say anything else?" Red asks, eyeing his son.

Ray thinks about this for a moment before he nods. "Yes! He said…" he thinks about it again. "'Tell your mom I said goodbye. I came to protect you and that's what I did.'" Lizzie lets out a sigh and takes a look at Red's tense expression. "Mommy?" Lizzie looks at Ray. "Can I go play now?"

"Sure, sweetheart," she says, dropping a kiss onto the top of his head. They both watch as Ray drops himself off the stool and runs out of the room.

"Lizzie? Do you want me to find him?"

"No, I just want to get through Don's funeral first," she remarks. He nods and goes to turn but Lizzie grabs his arm. He turns to face her.

"Sweetheart?"

"I don't want to stay here."

"You want to leave? Leave Australia?"

She nods. "I know this isn't the best time to be talking about this right now. I have so many other things going on right now, but I did a lot of thinking last night. I can't stay here anymore. I mean, I cannot even sleep in my bed anymore. Is that bad?"

"No, it's not bad. You've suffered something emotional here, Lizzie. I can understand all too well."

She grins at him. "Is that why you blew up your house?"

"Precisely. I walked through just before and I remembered where she had her first steps and where she would play in the yard, and all those memories."

"Just please tell me you won't blow up this house?" she asks. He looks at her, affronted, and she laughs.

"I have the perfect place, Lizzie. On the coast of Maine. It's right on the beach. The kids would love it. We could bury Donald there, so whenever you needed to, you could visit him. Bring the kids to see him whenever they wanted."

"You would do that for me?" she asks, a hopeful look on her face.

"I would." He wraps his arm around her and tugs her towards him. He drops a kiss onto her forehead and she closes her eyes at the contact.

~*~ TBL ~*~

And so the next few days were spent packing what they wanted to take with them and what they wanted to leave. They would eventually return; it may not be anytime soon, but they would return. Red took care of getting Donald to the states, while she tried to wrangle the kids and their stuff all together. They each had a suitcase and the rest would be sent to the house at a later date. Lizzie and Red decided it would be best if she returned as Elizabeth Scott, even though she would be laying low. The children's new American passports were provided by Red's forgers, and everything was good to go, finally.

The flight was horrendous for Lizzie and for JJ. They were both sick the whole time and Red took this time to bond and spend time with both Hope and little Ray. Hope was doing much better since she had received the insulin pump Lizzie and Don had wanted to get for her. And Ray was slowly getting back to his normal, happy self, bonding with his father finally. They had a brief refueling stop in Israel about ten hours into their 20-hour flight. Lizzie and the kids got to walk around a bit and stretch their legs, but Red didn't want to stay for too long. Soon, they were back in the air and on their way to their new home.

Lizzie wakes to someone's hand on her forehead. "Red?" she asks.

"Lizzie," he says with a smile.

"Everything okay?" she asks, blinking against sleep.

"Everything's fine, sweetheart. We're going to be landing soon."

"JJ?" she asks.

He nods his head towards the other side of the plane and they both grin as they see JJ still asleep, her head pillowed on Dembe's chest, her mouth open, and a wet spot on his shirt where her head was resting. "What?" Dembe asks, noticing their looks in his direction.

"How's Hope and Ray?" she asks, sitting up.

"They're doing fine," he waves his hand in their direction and she turns to see the twins sitting at a table, heads bent down and coloring.

"I'm so thankful for you."

He grins at her once again, and takes a seat next to her. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm feeling okay. Better than I was before. The nap helped."

"Mr. Reddington?" comes a man's voice from the front of the plane. "We're approaching the airstrip."

"Thank you Edward," Red says. "Okay, guys, lets clean up." The twins start cleaning up and putting everything away in their backpacks that they had packed before leaving Australia. Lizzie looks amazed when they do as they were told and didn't talk back.

"Daddy?" Hope asks. Red turns to look at his daughter. "Can I sit with you?"

"But I was gonna sit with Daddy!" Ray exclaimed.

"What did you do to my children?" she asks. He turns and looks at her sharply. Lizzie recoils at his look. "What did you do to _our_ children?" she amends her statement. "Ray's not talking back and neither of them are whining about cleaning up."

"Lizzie, we've been stuck on this plane for the last ten hours. We've have time to bond and talk about things while you were asleep. They are very well behaved children, Lizzie, and that's all thanks to you and Donald. But I am their father. I want to be in their life. I'm _going_ to be in their life. And you, yours, if you will have me. I will help you with this life that you've created for yourself. I still have work to do, but I will be there for you and them and even JJ. She's a delightful little thing. She has certainly bonded with Dembe."

Lizzie turns to look at the man in question with a soft smile. "And we will gladly have you. But I'm not sure if I'm ready for more with you yet. The memories are still raw…" She quickly moved on from her brief melancholy and smiles as Hope crawls into Red's lap.

He wraps his arms around his daughter and his eyes soften as he takes in his former flame. "I understand that, Lizzie. And I will wait for as long as you need me."

~*~ TBL ~*~

The descent went smoothly and they landed on a small runway just outside of Cape Neddick. The kids were glued to the windows the entire time, looking at the snow-covered ground. They were ill-prepared when it came to all the things they would need for the kids and cold weather. They had bundled the kids up as best as they could and shuffled them into an awaiting SUV.

"God, I do not miss any of this," Lizzie remarks, pulling her own jacket tighter around her. "We are going to have to stop at a store to get the kids whatever they need. We were so ill-prepared for any of this."

"Kittery is just under 20 minutes south of us. We can head there."

"What's in Kittery?" she asks.

"Outlet stores. We can head there first thing in the morning. It's so late we really wouldn't have time to enjoy it right now."

The car is quiet for a few moments before Lizzie speaks, "Red?" He turns and looks at her, mindful of the still sleepy JJ between them. "How many people know about this place?" she asks.

"Do you mean, who is going to be knocking on your front door?" she looks sheepish as she nods. "Dembe, Mr. Kaplan, and I," he tells her. She nods once again before gasping as they pull into a gravel driveway.

"Oh, Red," she remarks as she looks at the house. "I thought the house in Australia was beautiful, but this takes the cake."

"You should see the sunrise on the back porch – brilliant!" he exclaims with a wave of his hands. She smiles as they park in the garage and slowly get out. Lizzie grabs JJ while Red and Dembe both get the twins. All the kids are sleeping, but she knows it won't last. With the time change, things were going to be tense until everyone settled down and the kids had their stuff. "We can bring them into the master bedroom. There's a King-size bed in there. Dembe has his loft. All the other bedrooms are empty. You can sleep in there with the kids till we get more rooms set up."

"How many bedrooms are there?" she asks.

"Six altogether. Once we put the kids down, I'll give you a tour. Then we're going to have to spend some time looking for furniture for the kids." She follows Red and deposits the sleeping kids in his bed. She looks around and smiles at the simplicity of the room.

"Mommy?" Ray briefly opens his eyes. "I have to go potty."

Red helps his son into the bathroom before she has a chance to even look at her son. She smiles down at a sleepy Ray when they come back, and kneels down to give him a kiss when he requests one. She helps him back into the bed before turning and following Red out of the room, leaving the door open a few inches. He gives her a tour of the house and she falls in love with it immediately. They then settle into the living room with Red's laptop and spend the next hour or so ordering the kids' furniture as well as a bed set for the extra bedroom that they had. She walks towards the kitchen once they were done with the kids' stuff. She didn't even want to see the price tag they had racked up. She rummages through the cabinets to find something to eat and every once in a while she hears Red mutter something to himself.

She looks over to see him staring at his screen in thought. She walks over to see him still looking at furniture. She then wanders around the house, finally coming upon the library. She looks through the books before pulling one out and heading back to the living room. She settles in next to Red, while pulling a fleece blanket, which was draped across the back of the couch, around her. She settles in, laying her legs across Red's lap. She was only a few pages in when the need to sleep started to overwhelm her. She feels Red's hand rubbing her leg and she tenses up for a split second, briefly regaining alertness.

"Sorry," Red's soft voice can be heard. He doesn't want to scare her off before he can regain her.

"Not you," she slurs out, blinking against sleep. "Charlie horse in my leg. Left one." Lizzie relaxes as Red massages her left leg. She can faintly hear Red tell her to sleep before the sandman finally came.

~*~ TBL ~*~

The next hurdle was spent finally burying Don, which was horrendous for Lizzie. She stayed as strong as she could for the kids and in front of Samar, Aram and Cooper, who had flown in for everything. Red had stayed by her side the entire time, helping Lizzie by keeping the kids busy and making sure they were well taken care of. But as soon as the kids were tucked into Red's bed for the night, and Lizzie and Red were finally alone, she broke down, not being able to keep the tears at bay.

Red's heart broke for Lizzie, for the pain and for the suffering she was going through. He held her through her breakdown and when she finally exhausted herself into sleep. He wiped her face of her drying tears and placed a kiss to the top of her head before sneaking out from underneath her. He glances at her before walking out of the living room and into the kitchen where Dembe was standing with Samar, Aram and Cooper. Red trusted them with their location, and it was only fitting that they were here for Don's burial.

"How's she doing?" Samar asks.

"As well as can be expected," he tells them. "She cried herself to sleep. She stayed strong in front of the kids, but after that…" he trails off, letting them fill in the blanks by themselves. Samar tries to hide her yawn, but Red looks at her and smirks.

"I will have Dembe run you to your hotel," he tells them.

Samar waves him off. "I'm fine. Who knew growing a baby would be so tiresome?"

"I'm feeling a little tired myself," Aram remarks. "It's been a hard day, for all of us." He turns to Samar. "Why don't we head back to the hotel? It's been a tiring and stressful day. Emotional as well." She concedes defeat and they gather their jackets so that they can follow Dembe down the stairs and out of sight.

Red turns to look at Cooper, who was still leaning against the counter staring at the other man. "How is she feeling, really?" he asks.

Red shrugs. "Defeated. Scared. And all that I said earlier. She misses him. The kids are remarkable and are bouncing back fairly quickly. But they were all distracted before we got Ray back. And they are still very young as well."

Cooper nods. "I wanted to run something by you. Then maybe you could run it by Elizabeth." Red nods for the man to continue. "I would like to offer her a job. Not as a field agent. She wouldn't even have to leave the house. I could use her skills as a profiler. Aram could set up a computer here to be able to access our network securely in D.C. We could use Skype to communicate face to face, even. And I also wanted to see if you were interested in finishing your blacklist."

Red is quiet for a moment. "I would be, but I would have to talk it over with Lizzie. I plan to stay with her here, help raise the kids, my twins." Cooper glances at him sharply, but remains silent. "I promised Lizzie I would not leave. That I would help her in any way she would let me. Lizzie, Hope, Ray, JJ, and even that baby are my world." Cooper nods his head in agreement. "But I will talk to her."

"That's all I ask," Cooper says as he heads towards the front door. He gathers his jacket and Red watches as Cooper sends a nod his way before walking out to his own waiting car.

~*~ TBL ~*~

And so the next few days were spent shopping for essentials for the kids and for Lizzie herself. Once the kids became acclimated to the weather and to the time change, the kids were enrolled in school. The twins were in full day Kindergarten while JJ was in a half-day preschool in the same location. The children were moved into their new bedrooms, but Lizzie refused to sleep alone in her own room after experiencing night after night of nightmares. She spent her nights pressed against Red, testing his restraint; but it was something he was willing to put up with over and over.

On a day when the kids were in school, Red broached the subject of the FBI with Lizzie. She looked bewildered as she heard what Red was asking her. She told him she needed time and that the answer he sought wasn't going to come easy to her. Could she trust the FBI after everything? Could she go on without Don? And seemingly as if reading her mind, Red quickly corrected himself telling her that she wouldn't have to go back into the field. Heck, she wouldn't even have to leave her bed if she didn't feel like it. She still wanted to think about it and Red had nodded his head in agreement.

~*~ TBL ~*~

Soon, the remaining cold winter months faded and spring came bringing new life to their house. For the first time in months Lizzie was able to open the windows and let the warm spring air in. Red smiled as he saw how happy his Lizzie was, the sun outlining her ever-larger, but beautiful, form. She didn't really have Don's death hanging over her anymore. Slowly but surely she had made her peace with it all, and Red himself had been a big part of it.

Things were moving slowly between them but they were there, and that was all he cared about. The comfort they found platonically in each other's arms at night was more than enough at the moment. There had always been something between them years ago, but they had never acted upon it until that fateful night that changed everything. He could suppress those feelings now, as well, if he had to. And for Lizzie, for now, she was just focusing on the remainder of her pregnancy and having little Elijah, as well as caring for her other children.

They had talked many nights about returning to the FBI and she was still on the fence about the whole thing. Could she trust them? They had burned her so quickly before, thinking she had done those things. In truth, she had infected that senator, but it wasn't even her fault. She had killed Connolly, but for good reason; he was dirty.

The truth was, she loved profiling. She loved figuring out what made someone tick; but she wasn't sure she wanted to work for the FBI. She had time to think about everything, at least. Cooper wasn't expecting an answer right away; he knew she would need time to come to a decision. Red, on the other hand, wanted to get started right away. He wanted to capture as many criminals as possible to make the world that much safer for her and the kids. He kept telling her it was only a little over ten years away before the twins were out of the house to college with JJ following shortly after. That certainly helped put things in perspective.


	8. Chapter 8

Spring fell into the warmer months of summer when things changed. Red and Dembe had their heads bent over his desk looking over some papers when Lizzie walks to the doorway. Her face scrunched up in a grimace.

"Ray," she calls out. Red looks up from the file at the urgency in her voice.

"Lizzie?"

"It's time," she remarks. He quickly walks across the room and gathers her into his arms. Her head falls to his chest as he places a hand onto her stomach. Her hands come up to clench his forearms as a contraction hits. "Raymond," she says softly.

"Okay," he tells her. He guides her towards the living room and helps her sit on the couch. "I'll go get your bag. I'll be right back. Would you like me to call Meg? See if she can grab the kids?"

"No. Marissa is having that test at the hospital tomorrow, remember? I won't ask her to worry about taking in the kids with that on her mind. Dembe?" she calls. He walks into her line of sight. "Will you get the kids?"

"I would be happy to. Do not worry. They will be in good hands."

She lays her hand onto his arm. "Thank you."

Red returns with her bag slung over his shoulder and a pillow in his other. Dembe helps Lizzie up off the couch, out to the garage, and into the car. Lizzie leans against Red as he whispers soothing words into her ear. She closes her eyes, breathing his scent in and cherishing the closeness and familiarity. Soon they get to the hospital and the next little while was spent getting her paperwork completed, getting settled into a room, and all that entailed. The anesthesiologist was called and he showed up a few minutes later. Red stood in front of her and held onto her hands as she was given the epidural. His heart clinched painfully as she let out her own cry of pain.

"Lizzie, sweetheart?" he asks.

"Contraction," she breathes out.

"Just a few more seconds," the nurse tells them. She smiles at them both before telling them that everything is all set. Lizzie lets out a sigh of relief as she lets go of Red before laying back in the bed. Red helps her get her legs onto the bed before laying a blanket over her, knowing she was feeling cold.

"Thank you." Lizzie looks at Red with a bright smile. He gives her his own smile as she scoots over in the bed and pats the empty space next to her. "Come sit with me." He looks at the bed for a split second before getting into the bed. But before he has a chance to fully get comfortable, she pulls his face to hers. The kiss was too brief in both of their opinions, but they had to stop or they would get carried away.

"Lizzie?" he breathes out the question.

"Thank you," she says simply. "You've been awesome through everything the last few months, and so patient, and I just wanted you to know. You are an amazing man and a wonderful father. I love you so much. And I cannot wait to walk this next part of the journey with you."

His eyes mist and he grins at her. "I love you," he says before giving her another kiss. "Are you ready for this Lizzie?"

"I am so ready."

~*~ TBL ~*~

"Okay, Elizabeth, one more big push," the doctor tells her.

She shakes her head. "No, no I cannot. I'm done. No more," she remarks.

"Lizzie, sweetheart," she turns her head to look at Ray. "You can do it. I have complete faith. Bring little Elijah into this world." She shakes her head once again. "Sweetheart," he takes her hand into his and gives her knuckles a light kiss.

The pain was unbearable. She takes a few deep breaths as Red lays a cool facecloth onto her forehead. "I can't. It hurts so bad," she tells him. "Everything hurts. Ray, I feel like I'm going to be sick." He grabs a bucket and shoves it under her as she gets sick.

"Okay, here is what we are going to do. Mr. Reed," the doctor looks at Red. "I want you to sit behind Elizabeth." Red runs his hand over Lizzie's hair and follows the doctor's direction. Lizzie scoots forward and Red gets behind her. "Now, Elizabeth, I want you to lean back on him. let him hold your weight. You are going to have to hold your legs." The doctor nods her head as Elizabeth does as instructed. "Good. Now, on the next contraction I want you to push. I can see the head, so one or two more pushes and you will get the head out."

"Oh, God," Lizzie says as she feels the next contraction hits." She bears down and pushes.

Soon, she heard the cries of her son. Red grins as the doctor places the wriggling infant in his mother's arms. Lizzie feels Red drop a kiss onto her head. "Red," she says. She looks up at him, grinning. She looks back down at her son, at their son, no matter the blood. Their Eli.

~*~ TBL ~*~

They adjusted to having Eli easily and Red loved having the baby around. Lizzie loved seeing Red with Eli. She loved seeing him with the kids, and even though JJ and Eli were not his, he was raising them as his. And it was wonderful.

They loved having the baby around the house and they loved being parents. It wasn't always smooth sailing between them, even in the bedroom, but they managed to work their differences out. And every so often, he would have to go away for work – or at least that's what they would tell the kids.

Lizzie didn't even have time to miss Red with all the things going on in her life. Between the kids and their activities, along with the friends she made around the neighborhood, she kept busy.

Lizzie decided one night that she would take Cooper up on his offer. She had thought long about it and she did miss profiling. Red was delighted with her decision. He couldn't wait to start catching Blacklisters again. Cooper had brought in two more field agents, since Samar was temporarily sidelined until after the birth of her and Aram's daughter. The first thing Red demanded was a meeting between him and the two new agents. Lizzie wanted to know who they were as well, since they would be working with Red in the field. So Red had packed up Lizzie and the kids and they headed down to D.C. for a weekend.

Cooper met them as the elevator door opened. Lizzie takes a moment before following Red out, peaking down at Elijah, snuggled in his sling fast asleep, his head pressed against her breast bone; with his mouth open in a little 'o'. "It's good to see you again Agent Kee-" he stops when she shakes her head.

"It's Agent Scott now."

"Agent Scott," Cooper says while nodding. "They are just this way. Agent Bristow and Agent Vaughn are eager to meet the two of you."

"Well, that's the first time any one has ever been eager to meet me," Red comments dryly, making Lizzie giggle.

Cooper leads them over to two well-dressed agents. The man in a suit gives Lizzie a little jolt. Don used to dress in almost the same way. Red looks at her, concerned, and she shakes her head. The woman was dressed just like Lizzie herself used to dress. The woman was wearing a white shirt with a black pant suit on, her dark hair pulled back. The two agents had their heads bent over a file, whispering to one another.

"Sydney, Michael," Cooper says, getting the attention of the two. They both look up. "Agents Bristow and Vaughn, this is Agent Elizabeth Scott and Raymond Reddington."

"It's a pleasure," Sydney says, holding her hand out to Lizzie. "I've read your file. You've done a lot of good work the time you were here."

"Thank you," Lizzie tells her. "Red tells me the two of you were former CIA?" she asks.

"Yeah, we took some time off after some things happened. We've been working on and off for our branch in L.A. for the last ten years or so, but now that our kids are getting a little older we want to kind of slow down. Plus, we didn't want to stay in LA anymore. Our boss told us about this and we jumped at the chance."

"How many kids do you have?"

"Isabelle is 15, Jack is nine, and Nadia is five," Vaughn remarks, taking out his phone. Lizzie and Red peer at his phone and smile at the picture.

"Beautiful kids," Lizzie remarks. She smiles at Red before directing her gaze back at the new agents. "We've got four, although one and two are twins. They are five, Hope and Ray. JJ is four, and this little one, Elijah, is going on four weeks."

"Say, you look familiar," Red remarks suddenly, staring intently at Sydney.

Lizzie rolls her eyes as Sydney looks taken aback. "Maybe you knew my father. He was CIA as well. Jack Bristow." The name was vaguely familiar to him, but he still shakes his head in the negative. Sydney sighs. "My mother then. She was former KGB. Irina Derevko."

"Ah. Yes. I knew Irina. We didn't work together, but I met her a few times. You look like her. I wonder what ever happened to her."

"She passed back in 2006."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be, I'm not," she remarks before turning her attention back to Lizzie, ending the conversation.

The rest of the weekend was fun and they got to spend time with Samar and Aram before heading back to Maine. "I like them," Lizzie tells Red as they get back to the house. "Don't give them a hard time please." Red gives her a 'who me' look and she grins at him. "Yes, I'm talking to you." She pokes his chest before he follows her into their bedroom.

~*~ TBL ~*~

Lizzie loved profiling and there were times when she missed being in the field, missed the thrill of the chase, missed the thrill when catching their suspect. But she was excited that she could make her own hours; peruse whatever file Red would give her at her leisure. There were no deadlines to make; no jumping up at the last minute because their suspect was in the wind. Red was bringing them blacklisters, but not at the rate he used to. He couldn't fathom being away from Lizzie and the kids too much.

~*~ TBL ~*~

The next change that came upon their family was at Christmas. It was Christmas Eve and they had just finished wrapping the last of the kids' presents. She thought she was being discreet, looking over at Red every so often, but he caught her. She freezes as he lets out a sigh and turns to her. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asks.

"I was just wondering how you were doing," she tells him. He looks at her for a moment as she waves her hand at the tree and the presents that are piled underneath it. It dawns on him as to what she's referring to.

"It's time to make new and happier Christmas memories, sweetheart," he remarks. She smiles before leaning over and giving him a kiss.

~*~ TBL ~*~

Lizzie and Red look at the destruction around them, wrapping paper from one end of the living room to the other. The kids are engrossed in their toys and the two adults look at each other with smiles.

"All that time shopping and wrapping and the kids demolish it all in the span of a half hour," Lizzie remarks, handing Elijah over to Red and standing up. She starts to gather up the wrapping paper but Red stops her.

"We forgot one," he remarks. Lizzie turns to look at Red with an astonished look on her face. She starts looking through the paper again before standing and looking around.

"What are you talking about?" she asks. She looks back at Red who is holding out a small package wrapped in gold paper. "Red, I thought we decided not to get anything for each other." He just shrugs and hands it to her. "What is it?"

"It's whatever you want it to be," he tells her before getting up from the couch when Ray and Hope call for him. She unwraps it and pulls out a ring box. She slowly opens it and gasps, dropping the box in shock.

"Oh, Red," she says, staring down at the ring. She looks back up at his retreating form. "What do you want me to say to this?"

He stops and turns to look at her. "Like I said, sweetheart, whatever you want."

~*~ TBL ~*~

Spring comes around once again and summer shortly after. Lizzie had been a nervous wreck the entire time Red and Dembe had been gone. She wasn't sure how receptive he was going to be to everything she had planned. She had asked her friends to be there for this. Dembe was in the know as well, and wanted Red to wear his light gray suit, the one she loved the most on him. Samar, Aram, Cooper, Sydney, and Michael had all flown in from D.C. for this. Mr. Kaplan had also flown in from wherever she had been. The girls were in summer dresses while Ray and Elijah were both in a pair of khaki shorts and nice white shirts.

She herself is in a white sundress that she knows Red loves on her. Samar and Sydney had curled her hair and done her makeup in light colors earlier that day. She rings her hands nervously as she hears the garage door open. There were a few moments of silence before she heard the two men's voices. "Lizzie, sweetheart," Red says coming into the room. "Do we have company?"

"You could say that," she says vaguely. He looks at her strangely.

"What's going on? Where are the kids?" he asks.

"Down at the beach with the team," she tells him.

"The team? Lizzie, sweetheart, what's going on?"

She holds her hand out and he takes it without hesitation. She pulls him out of the house and down to the beach. He looks at her quizzically as he notices the team and Kate conversing quietly.

"Lizzie?" he asks.

"Let's get married," she tells him quietly. He looks at her sharply.

"Who's going to marry us? I don't see…"

"Cooper. You can do that on the internet these days. Just us and our family," she tells him. "I want this. I want to do this, so don't ask me if I'm sure. I want to be your wife." He searches her face and then smiles widely.

"Let's get married!" he exclaims, gathering everyone's attention.

~*~ TBL ~*~

Later, against the setting sun, the two are locked in an embrace, swaying softly. Someone had set up their IPOD and hit shuffle. Their reception was a very low key affair and she couldn't have asked for anything better.

"Was it everything you wanted?" Red asks.

"And more," she tells him. "But I haven't given you your wedding present yet," she tells him. He stops dancing and gives her a bewildered look.

"There's more?" he questions. She smiles and leans forward, whispering something in his ear.


End file.
